Bias Support & Education Team
A page within Center for Transformative Justice
Our Mission
The Bias Support & Education Team (BSET) assists the UWL campus community in order foster a community that is welcoming and inclusive to all. It takes an institutional approach to better understand incidents that occur on campus. The BSET was formed in 2005 to address and catalog bias incidents in order to better understand our campus climate.
What is the BS&ET?
Our Charge
The Bias Support & Education Team (BSET) shares the University's commitment to a culturally diverse and inclusive climate that fosters intellectual and academic freedom, the free expression and exchange of all ideas, and the well-being of its students, faculty, staff and visitors.
As outlined in the UW Board of Regents policy document 14-6, "Discrimination, discriminatory attitudes, and expressions that reflect discrimination are inconsistent with the efforts of the University of Wisconsin System to foster an environment of respect for the dignity and worth of all members of the university community and to eliminate all manifestations of discrimination within the university…. All such episodes are harmful to the individuals directly involved, and diminish the university community as a whole." (UW Board of Regents, Policy Document 14-6)
Therefore, the BSET exists to address forms of bias through consistent campus climate monitoring and proactive education. We envision an atmosphere of belonging through humility, respect, and thoughtful expression in all interactions.
Our First Amendment Considerations
It is important to note that not every bias incident which may be offensive to an individual or group will be considered to be discriminatory conduct and/or a violation of system or institutional policy. The Bias Support & Education Team encourages members of our campus community to visit the Chancellor's message on civil discourse and free speech, the UW System Civil Dialogue website, and the UW System Board of Regents Policy Document 4-21.
While the First Amendment protects free expression of ideas that may be offensive, it does not mean the University condones, supports, or agree with all ideas expressed, particularly those that are contrary to our core values. The Bias Support & Education Team documents and tracks these incidents in order to:
- Provide support to individual(s) impacted by bias incidents
- Develop programming and training opportunities to address bias
- Detect emerging patterns of biased activity
- Publish aggregated data about these incident rates and trends
- Make recommendations to campus leadership for the prevention of future bias incidents
Of course, people who commit hate crimes, or any crime thereof, that are not protected under the First Amendment may be subject to disciplinary proceedings or prosecution. Possible examples include physical assault, vandalism, trespassing, harassment, incitement, or genuine threats of violence.
Our Protocol
Through the online Bias Incident Report Form, the Bias Support & Education Team (BSET) provides support to those affected by bias incidents related to a person’s actual or perceived identity, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, and religious affiliation. In addition, the team develops educational training and programs aimed at preventing future bias incidents.
Please note that based on the nature of the reported incident, reports may be routed to one or more of the following university entities:
- Human Resources
- Title IX
- Affirmative Action
- University Police
- Residence Life
- Student Life
What We Do:
- Assist impacted parties in connecting with support services
- Facilitate proactive and ongoing, educational training and programming about the impact of bias
- Raise awareness and empower bystanders to promote a culture of humility & respect
- Inform administration and recommend best practices in terms of policy and action, based on trends and findings
What We DON'T Do:
- Infringe on First Amendment Rights
- Limit academic freedom
- Impose disciplinary sanctions or other forms of punishment
- Conduct investigations (Please note that incident reports may be routed to one or more of the following university entities: the Bias Support & Education Team, Human Resources, Affirmative Action, Title IX, University Police, or Student Life. We will work to direct your report to the the appropriate office while upholding confidentiality.)
