DEFINITIONS
Bias Incident: Any conduct, speech, images, or expression that demonstrate conscious or unconscious bias which targets individuals or groups based on, but not limited to, their actual or perceived: age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, immigration status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, size, socioeconomic status/class, veteran status or on the basis of any other status protected by law or recognized within a Champlain College policy.
Examples:
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Calling a person or a behavior “gay,” “lame,” or “retarded” as an insult
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Imitating someone with any kind of disability or imitating someone’s cultural attire, norms, or practices
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Telling jokes based on a cultural stereotype
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Derogatory graffiti or images/drawings
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Using a racial or ethnic slur to identify someone
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Making comments on social media about someone’s age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, immigration status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, size, socioeconomic status/class, veteran status.
A bias incident is an offensive act that is neither criminal, nor a violation of the Sexual Misconduct Policy, the Discrimination and Harassment Policy, the Student Code of Conduct or comparable College Policies. If a bias-related incident falls within the scope and definitions of the aforementioned policies, it will be addressed through those processes. However, bias will be deemed an aggravating circumstance to any violation of College policy.
Hate Crime: As defined by Vermont law at 13 V.S.A § 1455, a hate crime is a crime that is maliciously motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, ancestry, age, service in the armed forces of the United States, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity is a hate crime. The perpetrator can be given additional penalties at sentencing. Hate crimes should be reported to local law enforcement agencies. Prosecutors can seek increased penalties for hate crimes, including longer jail sentences and higher fines.
Confidential Support Services
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Champlain College Employee Assistance Program - Invest EAP
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Champlain Counseling Center
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Champlain Student Health Center
Freedom of Expression Statement
Champlain College’s spirit of inquiry in the pursuit of knowledge supports the institution’s culture of exploration with respect for diversity and a passion for an inclusive learning environment. The college holds that its community, including, but not limited to, students, faculty, staff and invited visitors retain the right to freely express their ideas, so long as those forms of expression do not infringe on another’s freedom to do so. We believe that the commitment to engage in discomfort and controversy can promote opportunities for growth. It is not the institution’s purpose or duty to protect its constituents from conflict, but rather, to create conditions for debates and discussions to flourish.
REPORTING
Champlain College encourages reporting of potential bias-related incidents that may impact our community in order to help fulfill Champlain’s mission as a higher education institution free from hate and discrimination. Toward this end, individuals wishing to report a bias-related incident may do so using the process outlined below
Reporting a Bias Incident:
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Students: Submit a Bias Incident Reporting Form or contact Danelle Berube, Vice President of Student Affairs (Bias Response Coordinator) or Cory Davis, Senior Director of Community Standards at BiasResponse@champlain.edu. A Bias Incident Reporting Form may also be submitted anonymously.
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Employees: Contact the Chief Operating Officer or designee at peoplecenter@champlain.edu or (802) 865-5715 with any questions or to file a bias incident report.
Reporting a Hate Crime: If you believe that you have been the victim of a hate crime and anyone is injured or in danger, call 911, then notify Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465. If no one is injured or in danger, contact Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465.
To obtain the assistance of the Attorney General’s office as a hate crime victim, you may contact them at:
Office of the Attorney General
Civil Rights Unit
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 828-3657
(888) 745-9195 (toll-free in Vermont)
(802) 828-3665 (TTY)
(802) 828-3187 (fax)
AGO.CivilRights@vermont.gov (e-mail)
BIAS EDUCATION & RESPONSE PROCESS
The Bias Education & Response Team (BERT) is the group responsible for reviewing, coordinating, and responding to bias incidents for the College. The Bias Education & Response Team partners with the Division of Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion, Academic Affairs, the People Center, and Champlain College Online on reports that involve faculty, staff, and online students.
Role of the BERT Coordinator or designee
The College has designated Cory Davis as Champlain’s BERT Coordinator. This individual is the primary point of contact for the BERT, for coordinating its efforts, and for responding to reports made through the Bias Education & Response process. The BERT Coordinator can be contacted via email at biasresponse@champlain.edu.
When a BERT report is received
The BERT will respond to reported incidents in the following ways:
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When a report is submitted, the BERT Coordinator or designee reviews whether the report is suited to the Bias Education & Response process. If not, the report is routed to the Champlain staff or office best equipped to address the reported concern. These staff and offices include: Campus Public Safety, the Title IX Coordinator, the ADA/504 Coordinator, the Office of Community Standards, the Care Team or to another College entity. The report is also evaluated for time-sensitivity and breadth of impact.
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If a report is submitted anonymously, it may inhibit the ways in which the BERT can learn further information about the concern and limit the ways in which possible follow-up may be conducted.
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If referred to the Bias Education & Response process, a member of BERT responds to the individual(s) submitting the report to acknowledge receipt, to offer appropriate support, and to invite the reporting party(ies) to provide additional information.
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The BERT may consider a variety of responses to reported bias incidents based on the severity and context of the incident. In addition to the possibility of investigation and disciplinary sanction as determined by college partners, when appropriate, examples of responses may include, but are not limited to, efforts to:
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Establish direct contact with the person or group involved in the incident to discuss the impact of the bias incident.
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Develop and provide educational resources or opportunities to individuals, departments, units, and other groups to address the impact of a bias incident.
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Communicate with a specific individual, building, group, unit, department, or the entire College community about what happened, why it is important to address the incident, and what responses are underway or possible.
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Mandate a No Contact Order (NCO) or No Trespass Order.
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Offer mediation through appropriate College offices.
As necessary, the BERT Coordinator or designee consults with other College officials and relevant offices to coordinate responses (i.e. Campus Public Safety, Housing & Residential Life, Office of Accessibility, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, People Center, etc.)
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When a reported incident has had a campus-wide impact or involves campus risk, the BERT Coordinator or designee may send a message to the affected campus(es) and/or residential communities.
The BERT Coordinator or designee, in collaboration with members of BERT, tracks and reports on data, assesses trends, and identifies areas for training, prevention efforts, and policy development.
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