Bias Incident Reporting
Purpose
The Bias Incident Response Team at Highline College is responsible for monitoring, assessing and coordinating campus response to bias incidents and hate crimes that occur on campus.
Highline College, along with the Multicultural Student Service Directors’ Council (MSSDC) and most specialists in the field, maintains that victims of bias have three primary needs:
- To feel safe, both physically, mentally and emotionally;
- To feel and be heard;
- To know what is being done to address the bias.
With this in mind, HC is committed to moving as quickly as possible when addressing bias. In accordance with RCW 9A.36.080, our Title IX/Non-Discrimination Policy and Mission, Vision and Values, the Bias Incident Response Team is responsible for the following:
- Providing and maintaining a mechanism for reporting incidents of bias or hate on campus;
- Informing the college community about reporting options for bias or hate based incidents;
- Assessing the severity and reach of a hate or bias based incident inclusive of fact finding with students and employees;
- Receiving, monitoring and referring incidents of bias or hate and coordinating college responses to incidents that impact all or a large portion of the campus community;
- Providing immediate outreach, assistance and support to campus communities impacted by the bias incident;
- Determining when a campus notification is necessary and provide said notification in collaboration with the necessary departments;
- Referring Title IX and Conduct issues to the relevant authorities for investigation. It is important to note that while the Bias Incident Response Team is responsible for determining and responding to incidents of bias, it is not responsible for investigations or delivering disciplinary action;
- Supporting the coordination of educational opportunities that educate the campus community on the procedures and protocols of the Bias Incident Response Team;
- Collaborating with college groups and individuals, inclusive of students and employees, to offer proactive education related to hate and bias based incidents;
- Collaborating with college groups and individuals, inclusive of students and employees, to offer post hate and bias incident response programming;
- Continuing to uphold the College’s non-discrimination policy and values related to their commitment to a safe, inclusive and equitable environment for all students and employees.
When should I file a bias incident report?
A person or group who witnesses, experiences, or has knowledge of a possible hate crime or bias incident should report that incident as soon as possible via the campus reporting mechanisms. When in doubt? Report. Report. Report.
What qualifies as a bias incident?
Any incident that is directed at a person or group because of race, religion, gender and/or gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, age, creed and more. Bias incidents are not limited to criminal behavior. It can include things like:
- Racial, ethnic, ableist or sexist slurs;
- Intimidation and cyberbullying;
- Telling jokes based on stereotypes;
- Xenophobic or racist graffiti or images.
What happens when you report?
Incidents are reported via the Online Incident Reporting Form. Reported incidents are sent directly to the BIRT co-Chairs to determine if an urgent review is necessary. Non-urgent submissions to the online reporting tool are reviewed weekly during the campus BIRT meetings. If the co-Chairs determine the BIRT team must convene to address an issue, it is the responsibility of the co-Chairs to convene the team as soon as possible, preferably the same day as the incident was reported. Documentation of the incident will begin immediately and be handled by the initial contact or the Team member appointed to manage the case. All documentation will be saved in a safe location and used for aggregate data collection for an end-of-year report.
The following steps occur quickly and without hesitation:
An incident is reported via the Bias Incident Report and shared directly with the BIRT co-Chairs. Documentation begins immediately via Maxient and continues until the incident is resolved.
The co-Chairs determine the severity of the incident and decide whether or not the team should convene.
- If the team is convened, they meet the same day or within 24 hours of when the incident occurred or was reported.
- The incident is referred as appropriate to Counseling, Human Resources, Title IX, Student Conduct, Campus Safety, etc. for further follow-up
While convening the Team, the co-Chairs reach out to impacted communities as necessary including faculty, student groups, staff, etc. If necessary, the co-Chairs will ask the Public Safety Department to take appropriate steps to cease bias-based activity.
BIRT coordinates with facilities on cleaning or remedying damaged or defaced property and with Marketing and Communications in situations where social media platforms were used. No action is taken in either of these areas until properly documented by Public Safety or local law enforcement.
An outreach plan for the affected group(s) is established if one was not already in place.
Appropriate referrals are made to Human Resources, Student Conduct, Title IX, local law enforcement, Counseling, etc.
The Team confers with community organizations such as local community centers and affected faith-based communities when outside support is needed.
Healing events are planned to follow the expertise and guidance of those most impacted by the incident.
Within 24 hours of the incident, a message from the College President or their designee is sent to campus. This message includes information about what occurred, reaffirms the College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, provides information on the campus Non-Discrimination policy and addresses the College’s response to the incident.
Due to the special nature of bias, incidents that occur must be reported with as much transparency as is legally allowed. Bias incidents may impact the rest of campus as well. Transparency will help build and maintain trust in the institution and will build solidarity amongst campus communities.
Create a rubric/template for assessing post incident responses; must be inclusive of both quantitative and qualitative information
The Bias Incident Response Team is responsible for making recommendations to HR and the Opening Week/Professional Development Day Committee regarding educational follow-up activities and bias prevention workshops. Topics for these educational components should follow trends in bias incident response and prevention. In the event that these recommendations are not selected by the OW/PDD Committee for programming, BIRT is committed to scheduling workshops outside of their programming.
The Bias Incident Response Team will review their policy and procedure on an annual basis making necessary improvements to better address incidents as they occur on campus.
Consultants for your support and guidance
Please contact any of our BIRT members if you have questions about a situation or behavior. We are here to help. When in doubt? Report. Report. Report.
BIRT Members
- Danielle Slota, Executive Director & Title IX Coordinator, Office of the President
- Edwina Fui, Director of Student Diversity & Inclusion
- Francesca Fender, Associate Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management
- Julie Pollard, Director, Accessibility Resources
- Isabelle Wroblewski, Associate Director of Community Standards and Student Conduct, Student Support and Funding Services
- Larisa Wendfelt, BIRT co-chair, Director of the Counseling Center
- Shon Meckfessel, BIRT co-chair, English Faculty