A Guide to Effective Bias Reporting, Response and Training Systems

Click Here to View Sample Pages

Intentional Strategies for Furthering Campus Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Efforts

Campus bias incidents can do indelible harm. They create unsafe, unwelcoming environments for those who are targeted – and others. They cause stress, anxiety and fear, often reducing students’ abilities to be as successful and whole as possible. As a result, emotional health concerns, physical symptoms and retention issues arise.

Those are a few of the reasons that many colleges and universities have created Bias Response Teams or groups dedicated to Campus Climate Concerns. They’re tied into institutional values surrounding belonging, contribution, diversity, equity and inclusion. And they’re designed to help create campus communities committed to human dignity and equality.

That all makes good sense, yet there are multiple complexities involved with bias reporting and response: legal challenges, designing effective systems, working within institutional limitations, developing clear messaging, sanctioning appropriately, exhibiting transparency and more. All require intentional attention and action. Plus, training campus community members is critical in pulling all the pieces together.

Whether your institution has a solid team in place or is looking to create or revamp your bias response program, A Guide to Effective Bias Reporting, Response and Training Systems is a comprehensive resource you can put into immediate action.

Topics Covered

Inside this 120-page guide, you’ll find useful tools on the following topics…

• Defining Bias Incidents: Clearly defining what these incidents entail will depend on your institution’s values, systems and culture.
• The Difference Between Bias Incidents and Hate Crimes: This distinction helps form your responses, student conduct decisions and training programs.
• Designing Your Reporting System: Discuss how to use your resources wisely so you’re staying on top of bias reports and never promising things you can’t currently deliver.
• Handling Anonymous Reports: Making the critical decision to accept anonymous bias reports involves effective strategizing.
• Communicating What Happens Next: Once a bias report is submitted, then what? Determine what reporters can expect when it comes to follow-up, timeframes and possible outcomes.
• Providing Support: Those targeted by bias incidents need to know they’re being supported. What’s available on your campus when it comes to confidentiality, supportive measures, advocacy and more?
• Developing Clear, Helpful Online Tools: Those in need often turn online to better understand what their options are regarding reporting incidents of bias and garnering support. What messages do you send?
• Issues of Protected Speech: Expressions may be offensive or inflammatory, yet they may not violate bias policies. There’s debate about intent vs. impact. So, what’s an administrator to do?
• Sanctioning Bias-Motivated Conduct Violations: From restorative justice to disciplinary action, it’s critical to examine your conduct policies and ready them for handling bias-motivated incidents effectively.
• Increasing Trust and Transparency: Helping students trust the system may involve posting bias incidents and their resolutions, yet you need to make sure not to violate FERPA in the process!
• Training Your Community: This is a key element of bias response programs. Determine what to focus on and how to be aware of legal and political challenges to certain training content.
• Being Aware of Legal Challenges: Using campus examples, we explore the creation of structures that hold up to legal challenges.
• Eliminating Bias Incidents from Happening: We offer a wealth of educational and awareness-raising resources you can use in your campus context.

Within these sections, you’ll find information you can adapt to your own campus approach, including case studies, discussion questions, reflections, checklists, best practices and more.

What’s Included

This 120-page guide has the tools you need to create or revamp your bias response program, including handouts, worksheets, activities, case studies, discussion questions and more. Plus, you'll also receive the Special Report, Developing a Culture of Belonging: The Evolution of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts.

Plus, your purchase also includes a site license to share with your staff and campus community!

Two Versions to Choose From

1. Printed with Digital Download – includes a printed copy of this resource as well as digital access to the enclosed materials and accompanying license to share with your campus community. Price includes $9 shipping fee.
   
   
2. Digital Download Only – includes digital access to this resource and accompanying license to share with your campus community.

Upon purchase, the instructions for downloading this resource will be immediately available. For questions, email info@paper-clip.com.