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What is a Bias Incident?
Bias incidents are acts or behaviors motivated by the person's bias against any combination but not limited to identities such as age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. While these acts do not necessarily rise to the level of a crime, a violation of state law, University policy, or the Student Code of Conduct, a bias act may contribute to creating an unsafe, negative, or unwelcome environment for the impacted person(s); anyone who shares the same social identity as the impacted person(s); and/or, community members of the university.
The Bias Incident Reporting Tool is for NON-EMERGENCY incidents. If your immediate safety is at risk, you are witnessing violence or perceive imminent harm to yourself of others, please immediately call 911. If your experience includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and/or relationship violence, please contact UW SafeCampus.
Our Commitment
The Bias Incident Reporting Committee (BIRC) is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, welcoming and inclusive campus environment for UW Tacoma students, staff and faculty by:
- Supporting individuals and campus communities targeted or affected by bias incidents.
- Collecting, monitoring and tracking bias incident-reporting data.
- When appropriate, referring incidents to the appropriate disciplinary body for investigation.
- Coordinating the provision of campus support services to individuals and communities affected by bias incidents using restorative justice principles.
- Educating the campus about ways to foster a safe, welcoming and inclusive learning and working environment that embraces the rich diversity within our community.
Who can report?
- Undergrad Student
- Gradute Student
- Faculty/Staff
- Student Employee
- Graduate Student Employee
- University Affiliate
- Visitor to campus
- Off-campus individual
How do I file a report?
You can submit a report online.
You may also contact:
Campus Safety & Security, which is available 24/7, has access to a variety of resources, and can direct you to support
phone 253-692-4416
File a report
Click the link below to file a report which will be reviewed by the Bias Incident Reporting Committee.
Report Anonymously
You can report anonymously. For complete anonymity, avoid logging into your UW NetID on the device you use. The committee only uses information you provide in the form. If you choose to remain anonymous, you won't be contacted about any actions taken in response to your report.
Who sees my report?
Reports are first screened by the Bias Incident Review Committee (BIRC) to identify serious crimes and violations requiring mandatory reporting, such as sexual harassment, and are given immediate and appropriate attention. Once that initial review is conducted, BIRC, will further assess the report and make recommendations for best actions.
How secure is my report?
Your submitted information is stored securely, like admissions data. Only reviewing staff and BIRC members access it directly. If necessary for resolution, incident details may be shared with relevant faculty, administration, or investigative groups. Otherwise, reports remain confidential and require a formal public records request for access at Public Records
Review Process
Step 1: Reviewed by Bias Incident Reporting Committee (BIRC)
Bias Incident Reporting Committee (BIRC) was established in early 2017 to respond to bias incidents, address bias and support individuals and communities that are impacted by bias incidents. The bias reporting system is intended as a campus resource for reporting, documenting and educating around issues of bias.
When you submit a bias incident report, here is how the committee responds
- Reviews the details of the situation to assess for immediate safety concerns and the need for mandatory reporting.
- Case Manager contacts the reporter for an intake assessment.
- Committee reviews the report and refers those who report incidents to the appropriate campus offices and programs that can effectively respond in accordance with applicable University policies and principles of expression.
- Committee may coordinate supportive measures, if needed and/or makes referrals to appropriate units and support services (e.g. student conduct, faculty affairs, counseling, ombudsman, etc.).
- Committee may assess avenue for minimizing or eliminating future incidents of bias.
- Case Manager catalogs the reported incident and tracks for trends.
The committed is dedicated to reviewing your report carefully and connecting you with support.
Step 2: Possible Actions
All reports are followed up by the designated University representatives to assist with additional intake and follow up as appropriate. The following is a summary of examples of either recommended actions or actions taken by the BIRC in response to the incidents that were reported. In general, follow-up responses include: removal of graffiti, social media messaging, educational conversation, support for impacted individuals, residence hall meetings and community wide messages.
Individual Action
- Interview
- Mediate or adjudicate with an Ombudsman
- File a report, criminally investigate
- Referral to Student Conduct
- Crime Alerts
- Contact Human Resources, employee action/mediation
- Prepare any campus or local communications
Community Action
- Written communication
- Community meetings
- Work with campus leadership, Human Resources and the Office of Equity and Inclusion to develop strategies for addressing bias trends and patterns at UW Tacoma
- Open door discussions with support by offices, such as the Office of Equity and Inclusion, Psychological and Wellness Services, and HuskiesCares
What We Don't Do
- Conduct investigations; Submission of a Bias Incident Report does not constitute a formal complaint and will not automatically initiate an investigation, however, should you utilize some of the campus resources offered to you through this process, they might use the information you provide to initiate disciplinary action
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Impinge on free speech rights and academic freedom
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Members
- Sarah Davies Breen
- Hermenia Butler
- Surtida Shelton
- Tanya Velasquez
- Susan Wagshul-Golden
- Abby Zorn
