As part of university-wide efforts to enhance campus climate regarding diversity, the Division of Student Affairs is launching a program to make it easier for students to know where and how to report incidents of discrimination.
Students are invited to attend an informational session about the Bias Reporting System at noon, Friday, Feb. 27, in the first-floor foyer of Adelbert Hall. They will review reasons for creating the program, its operations and overall goals. Student Affairs will provide pizza to those who attend, and students will be able to make reports through the system later that afternoon.
Students always have had the ability to report discrimination they observe or experience themselves, but until now lacked information about precisely whom to contact and how the information might be used. The idea for the initiative began with Director of Multicultural Affairs Naomi Sigg, who was involved in the development of a comparable initiative at her previous institution, Washington University at St. Louis.
The effort will be led by Dean Patterson, associate vice president and dean of students, and involve a team of staff specifically trained to follow up on reports, both those made anonymously and those made by students who identify themselves.
“An essential part of addressing issues of climate is understanding them in detail,” Vice President for Student Affairs Lou Stark said. “This initiative not only provides important individual assistance to students, but helps the university identify and respond to trends that the reports reveal.”
Under the new system, students will be able to enter reports through a standardized online form or a telephone call to the office. Staff will follow up on every submission in ways that differ depending on its details. In some instances, the report may involve a matter that requires referral to campus police and/or the University Judicial Board. In others, it may involve a conversation with the student to understand more about the nature of the incident and best next steps—including resources available to those who feel that they have experienced discrimination. These are defined as those activities that relate to—or appear to relate to—characteristics such as gender, gender identification, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability, among others.
The program is open to students at all levels—undergraduate, graduate and professional. The office engaged students during the development of this campus model, and will continue to seek feedback as it evolves.