A Bias-Related Incident is any act that appears and or is perceived by the targeted person as motivated, at least in part, by hostility toward the target person or an entire group because of that actual or perceived age, disability/ability status, race, color, gender identity/expression, national origin, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, etc. Not all acts of bias violate University policy or law.
The Bias-Related Incident Response has three primary goals:
- Support students who have witnesses or been the target of bias-related incidents
- Respond in an educational and preventive manner
- Inform the Truman community about the frequency and nature of bias incidents that are reported
Bias-Related Incident Reports will be evaluated by the Administrative Officer and responded to in a timely manner. While it is possible that the reported incident may be cause for the referral and/or filing of a formal complaint of discrimination, sanctions will not be imposed through the BRIR process. Reports that are submitted anonymously and/or do not identify the alleged responsible party will still be evaluated by the University, but our ability to respond may be severely limited. In the event that the reported incident is a violation of University policy or federal, state, or local statute, the University may be required to take specific action to address the incident and its effects.
ANYONE can make a Bias-Related Incident Report and these incidents may have occurred on-campus, off-campus, or online. Faculty and staff are obligated to report incidents that you experience, see and hear as mandatory reporters of the Truman community. You may also report the incident in person by emailing titleix@truman.edu to schedule a meeting.
