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Dear colleagues,
At the spring faculty conference in January, you heard that Gonzaga’s Bias Incident Assessment & Support (B.I.A.S.) Team had formed. Faculty and staff from across campus and across divisions comprise this 14-person team. The team responds to incidents of harassment and bias to improve our campus climate and to cultivate a safe community of belonging for all our students and colleagues. Members of the team serve as responders, educators, and resources when any member of the community reports a bias incident.
The B.I.A.S. Team commits to sending periodic summaries of bias incident reports to the Gonzaga community. Below you will find a summary of bias incident reports from fall 2017. In addition to these 14 reports from fall, 11 reports have been submitted this semester.
Any community member who experiences or witnesses bias is encouraged to file a report. The bias incident form can be found online at www.gonzaga.edu/reportbias.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Rossing (Communication Studies), Inga Laurent (School of Law), & Andrew Brajcich (Accounting)
On behalf of our colleagues on the BIAS Team: Cortney Brewer (Office of Community Standards), Joan Iva Fawcett (Diversity, Inclusion, Community & Equity), Sasha Gibson (Unity Multicultural Education Center), Heather Gores (Athletics), Matt Lamsma (Student Development), Fernando Ortiz (Health & Counseling Center), Chris Purviance (Human Resources), Raymond Reyes (AAVP & Chief Diversity Officer), Scott Snider (Campus Security & Public Safety), Michelle Wheatley (Mission & Ministry), Jon Wheeler (Housing & Residence Life)
Summary of Bias Incident Reports received during Fall 2017
The Bias Incident Assessment and Support (BIAS) Team exists to:
- To support individuals and communities impacted by bias incident and hate crimes
- To assess and make recommendations on the impact of bias incidents and hate crimes on Gonzaga’s overall campus climate
Total # of reports received in fall 2017: 14
Date | Number of Reports |
| October | 9 |
| November | 2 |
| December | 3 |
Submitted By | Number of Reports |
| Students | 7 (4 RAs) |
| Staff | 5 (2 RDs) |
| Faculty | 1 |
| Anonymous | 1 |
Identity/ies Targeted | Number of Reports |
| Race | 5 |
| Sexual Orientation | 3 |
| Disability | 1 |
| Gender | 1 |
| National Origin | 1 |
| No Bias | 1 |
| Other (multiple) | 1 |
| Religion | 1 |
Location | Number of Reports |
| Residence Hall | 6 |
| Classroom | 4 |
| Campus Building | 3 |
| Other (snail mail) | 1 |
Incident Date | Number of Reports |
| September | 2 |
| October | 7 |
| November | 2 |
| December | 2 |
| Fall 2017 (multiple & ongoing) | 1 |
Notification Only or Response Requested | Number of Reports |
| Notification Only | 8 |
| Response Requested | 6 |
Each report was received electronically and reviewed by co-chairs of the BIAS Team, Joan Iva Fawcett & Matt Lamsma, as well as co-chairs of the Council on Equity, Inclusion, and Intercultural Awareness, Raymond Reyes and Chris Purviance. All reports were followed up on by the BIAS Team, Human Resources, Office of Community Standards, Housing & Residence Life, Campus Security & Public Safety (CSPS), or the Chief Diversity Officer as appropriate. Follow-up actions included investigation by CSPS, removal of graffiti by Plant Services, support for targeted individual(s), residence hall meetings, and educational conversations.
Any community member who experiences or witnesses bias is encouraged to file a report. The bias incident form can be found online at www.gonzaga.edu/reportbias.