Identifying and Reporting Bias Incidents at Washington College:
Background and Rationale:
It is Washington College’s goal to be a welcoming community for all students, faculty, and staff. An informed awareness of the climate on campus is an essential part of WC’s efforts to create a supportive academic, residential, and professional environment for our diverse population. To this end, the College has a system for reporting incidents involving bias or hate.
Differences Between Bias Incidents and Hate Crimes:
A Bias Incident is any act directed against a person or property that includes the use of slurs or epithets expressing bias on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.
A Hate Crime is a criminal offense expressing those same biases.
Examples of Bias and Hate Incidents include defacing signs by using slurs or negative images associated with group identity, graffiti or verbal epithets, violent acts.
Common college campus locations where bias incidents occur nationwide:
Residence Halls (almost half occur here), social media, off-campus. in the classroom, or other.
If you, as faculty, staff, or student experience or observe a bias or hate incident (including after the fact) or know someone within the community who has, we strongly encourage you to report the incident via one of the following options:
Contact Public Safety at 410-778-7810.
Submit an anonymous tip to Public Safety via the LiveSafe mobile application (http://www.washcoll.edu/offices/public-safety/livesafe-app.php) or online at http://www.washcoll.edu/offices/public-safety/anonymoustips.php
Contact the Bias Incident Response Team
Chair and Assistant Dean of Students, Dr. Jean-Pierre Laurenceau-Medina, at jlaurenceaumedina2@washcoll.edu