Bias Reporting

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Bias Reporting

St. Olaf College is committed to providing a respectful, safe, and healthy environment for all its students, employees, and guests. To that end, the College prohibits all forms of discrimination based on an individual’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, marital status, veteran status, or status with regard to public assistance. The College also prohibits all forms of harassment based upon any of these legally protected characteristics. These behaviors not only harm individuals, they also damage the St. Olaf community as a whole. In addition, some forms of these behaviors are crimes.

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The College is committed to administering its policies and procedures in a fair, impartial manner that treats all persons with dignity and respect. When the College determines that a violation of this Policy has occurred, the College will take prompt and appropriate measures to stop the violation, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects.

Use the navigation links on this page to learn more about the college’s Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct, and to access information and resources to support anyone who has been affected by, knows of, or wants to help prevent an incident or pattern of behavior. There are many individuals you can contact with questions and concerns, beginning with the St. Olaf College Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Reginald Miles (miles3@stolaf.edu).

Bias Reports

Total Reports* Intakes** Restorative Justice Process Investigations
23 3 0 0

*Reports are from October 2023 – January 2024

**Intakes are not done when a report is anonymous or the reporting party requests to not be contacted

***Reporting Parties: 14 students, 4 staff members, 2 Anonymous, 3 Faculty

****Responding Parties: 12 students, 0 staff members, 4 Unknown, 7 Faculty

*****Targeted parties: 23  students, 0 staff members, 0 Unknown, 0 Faculty

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Bias Response 

St. Olaf College is committed to fostering a welcoming community for all students, faculty, and staff. An informed awareness of the climate on campus is an important part of the college’s efforts to create a supportive academic and residential environment for our community. The college does not tolerate any bias incidents toward its community members. The college expects its students, faculty, and staff to refrain from acts of intolerance directed at other members, including (but not limited to) harassment, hate speech, and discrimination. Reporting Bias

What is a bias incident?
A bias incident is any behavior or actions directed against a person or property that includes the use of slurs expressing prejudice on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression, but is not a criminal offense.

Examples of Bias Incidents Include:

  • Using offensive language or slang based on a person’s identity
  • Offensive social media post
  • Tampering property
  • Violent acts

What are microaggressions?
Microaggressions are brief, common exchanges that are often automatic and unintentional. They include verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative insults to a targeted group or individuals based on race, color, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

Examples of Microaggressions include:

  • Comments that single out a person based on their identity
  • Deliberately not using a transgender person’s preferred pronouns
  • Excluding a person due to religious practices

The Bias Response Team contains members of our community and  some of the members serve in an advisory role  with a goal of confirming that each case is addressed.

Members of the Team Include:

  • Derek Kruse, Director of Public Safety (Advisory Group)
  • Pamela McDowell, Title IX Coordinator (Advisory Group)
  • Brisa Zubia, Associate Director of International Student Programs (Advisory Group)
  • Doug Casson, Department Chair of Political Science (Advisory Group)
  • Justin Fleming, Senior Associate Dean of Students
  • Reginald Miles, Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion/Chair of Bias Response Team

What happens when a bias incident report is submitted?

  1. The Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion consults with the General Counsel to determine bias and forwards the report to the Bias Response Team.
  2. The Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion contacts the reporting party to acknowledge that the bias incident report has been received.
  3. The report is sent to the appropriate individuals (below) to manage the case. Appropriate parties are contacted about the case and the cases are investigated. The College’s General Counsel is involved at times due to the  severity of the case.
  4. Individuals managing cases will report back to the advisory group with the result of their cases at the end of each month.
  5. Each report will indicate whether the incident is bias and be part of the College’s tracking and reporting.

Students

  • Student submits a report regarding another student– Senior Associate Dean of Students will manage the case
  • Student submits a report regarding a faculty member- Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion will manage the case
  • Student submits a report regarding a staff member- Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion will manage the case

Faculty

  • Faculty member submits a report regarding another faculty member- Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion will work with the Provost’s Office
  • Faculty member submits a report regarding a staff member- Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion
  • Faculty member submits a report regarding a student- Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion will manage the case

Staff

  • Staff member submits a report regarding another staff member- Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion will manage the case
  • Staff member submits a report regarding a faculty member- Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion will manage the case
  • Staff member submits a report regarding a student- Interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion will manage the case

Required Referral Obligations

The following resources will help guide you through your obligations as a non-confidential employee of the College when incidents of bias, discrimination, or sexual harassment come to your attention.

Required Referrals FAQ Handout

Required Referrals Training Video – Student Employees

Required Referrals Training Video – Faculty and Staff

Please review some examples of information faculty and staff can share with students they instruct or supervise to help students understand their role as supportive but non-confidential resources.

Sample Statements

BIAS RESPONSE CORE TEAM

The Bias Response Team is responsible for the initial evaluation of all reports of Prohibited Conduct the College receives. During this initial evaluation, the Bias Response Team will determine if the College should proceed with disciplinary procedures or, in a case where there is no policy violation, discuss other relevant procedures.

Students looking to report an instance of Prohibited Conduct can contact anyone on the Bias Response Team.

Prohibited Conduct

Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct

See College Policy