Bias Incident Reporting & Response – On-Demand Training

How to Manage Sensitive Incidents Consistent with Recent Court Decisions

Bias incidents, including hateful language, discriminatory actions, or an incendiary speaker, can quickly engulf your campus, leaving some students upset, fearful, or believing they aren’t truly welcome in the space. It’s critical to have a clearly defined system in place for receiving reports of incidents alleged to be motivated by bias, a structure for swiftly analyzing and responding to them, and transparency with your community regarding what occurred and its ultimate resolution. 

Responding to a bias incident on campus can be a complex process. Although those who lead and serve on teams are well-intentioned, they are frequently caught in the middle of competing demands. It’s also a balancing act to know when and how to respond. 

Our expert presenter examines the current landscape and provides an overview of the issues you must consider when responding to bias incidents on campus. He addresses the following questions and more: 

• What are best practices for immediate support of targeted students or communities? 
• Who should investigate incidents?
• Which incidents go beyond the scope of the team’s purview? 
• What are your options for disciplinary action or restorative justice if the perpetrator is identified?
• How do you handle incidents reported as acts of bias which are determined to be protected speech under the First Amendment? 
• How do you create a reporting system and offer better transparency around incidents and the institution’s response to them? 

We also carefully review recent federal court decisions dealing with challenges to Bias Response Teams and Campus Climate Teams, and discuss how to create a structure that is best positioned to withstand legal challenge.

You’ll walk away with the ability to articulate your team’s efforts to reduce bias within legal parameters while staying focused on the larger goal of creating a welcoming, equitable environment where all campus community members can learn and thrive. 

Topics Covered

Get crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:

• Explain why you should employ a multi-stage response to reported incidents of bias – respond effectively to competing demands when engaging in bias response work. 
• Gain direct student and community support, even when an act of reported bias is protected speech or otherwise cannot be the subject of institutional discipline – help campus members understand the limitations of bias work when First Amendment and state- and institution-level free speech protections are at play. 
• The legal risks inherent in certain types of bias response or campus climate teams or structures, and how to avoid those risks in creating your own response system – ensure you are responding effectively to your students, while not running afoul of recent court decisions. 
• Best practice around receiving reports and investigating bias incidents – know when and how you can respond to reports of incidents, including when investigations should be referred to other professionals on campus. 
• Articulate and demonstrate your team’s efforts – improve transparency around reported bias incidents and the institution’s response to them without running violating FERPA or other privacy concerns. 

Presenter

Allen Groves serves Syracuse University as Senior Vice President for the Student Experience, the chief student affairs officer of the University.
Click here for full bio.