Overview
A bias incident is characterized as a behavior or act—verbal, written, or physical—which is personally directed against or targets an individual or group based on perceived or actual characteristics such as race, color, religious belief, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, or age.
Any member of the University of Rochester community can submit a bias report if they know of an incident motivated by discrimination of a person or targeted group based on age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Behavior reflecting bias may constitute a violation of the Student Code of Conduct or our Meliora Vision and Values.
Reports are reviewed by a staff member in the Center for Student Conflict Management who triages the reports to the director of the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center or to the Office of Equity and Inclusion which oversees the Title IX Office (if it's a sexual misconduct incident) or Equal Opportunity Investigators (if its an incident involving a University employee that falls under Policy 106). The appropriate person will contact the individuals involved in the report, coordinate a response, and communicate with the University community (when appropriate).
What happens to my bias-related incident report?
Examples of bias-related incidents include:
- Defacement and vandalism
- Racial epithets written on someone’s dry-erase board
- Posting or commenting on social media related to someone’s identity in a biased matter
- Racially themed parties
- Using a racial, ethnic, or other slur in a joke or to identify someone
- Threats, destruction of personal property, harassment, or threatening phone calls or emails
- Ridiculing a person’s language or accent
- Insulting a person’s traditional manner of dress
- Hate messages and symbols
- Language and imagery objectifying women
- Other subtle (and extreme) examples of bias incidents
The University of Rochester strongly encourages reporting bias incidents that occur on campus.