Bias Education & Response Process
The Bias Education & Response Team is responsible for reviewing, coordinating, and responding to bias incidents at Champlain College. We are committed to a clear and consistent process and prompt follow-up once a complaint is submitted.
What does the Bias Education & Response Team do?
- Oversees the prompt investigation of complaints alleging bias.
- Reviews findings as to whether bias was involved.
- Consults with campus partners as to whether any policy violations occurred.
- Coordinates the response and outreach for impacted individuals.
- Communicates alerts and educational messages to targeted communities or the College community as a whole.
- In partnership with the People Center and Academic Affairs, works with parties involved to resolve the situation, repair any harm done, and prevent additional damage from occurring.
Who is the Bias Education & Response Team?
The College has designated Danelle Berube, Vice President of Student Affairs, to serve as the College’s Bias Education & Response Coordinator.
The team also includes the Director of Community Standards, Dean of Students, Academic Deans of each division, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs, and a staff member from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Further staff from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of International Student Services, and the Women’s and Gender Center are included, as needed, for outreach and education efforts.
Learn The Definitions
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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:
- Calling a person or a behavior “gay,” “lame,” or “retarded” as an insult
- Imitating someone with any kind of disability or imitating someone’s cultural attire, norms, or practices
- Telling jokes based on a cultural stereotype
- Derogatory graffiti or images/drawings
- Using a racial or ethnic slur to identify someone
- Making comments on social media about someone’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, size, or religion.
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.
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Hate Crime
As defined by Vermont law, 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 your local law enforcement agency. Prosecutors can seek increased penalties for hate crimes, including longer jail sentences and higher fines.
Who to contact if you or someone you know has been the victim of a hate crime:
| Type of Situation | What to Do |
| If someone is in danger or is injured: | Call 911 and then notify Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465. |
| If no one is in danger and you’re a student: | Contact Danelle Berube, Vice President of Student Affairs, at dberube@champlain.edu or (802) 865-5460. You can also email biasresponse@champlain.edu with any questions and file a bias incident report here. |
| If no one is in danger and you’re an employee: | Contact Marita Martin, People Center Operations Coordinator, at mmartin@champlain.edu or (802) 865-5440 or file a bias incident report here. |
| To obtain the assistance of the Attorney General’s office as a hate crime victim: |
Office of the Attorney General (802) 828-3657 |
The Process
Once you submit a bias incident report, the team will respond in the following ways:
Step 1
The Bias Education & Response Coordinator or designee receives an incident report and determines whether the incident is suited for the Bias Education & Response Process. If not, the report is routed to 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.
Step 2
If deemed a bias incident report, a member of the Bias Incident & Response Team or a partner in the People Center, Champlain College Online, or Academic Affairs, responds to the individual(s) submitting the report to acknowledge receipt, to offer appropriate support, and to invite the reporting party or parties to meet.
Step 3
The Bias Education & Response Team 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.
- Develop and provide educational resources or opportunities to individuals, departments, units, and other groups to address the impact of a bias incident.
- 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.
- Mandate a No Contact Order (NCO) or No Trespass Order.
- Offer mediation through appropriate college offices.
As necessary, the Bias Education & Response Coordinator 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 & Inclusion, People Center, etc.)
Step 4
When a reported incident has had a campus-wide impact or involves campus risk, the Bias Education & Response Coordinator may send a message to the affected campus(es) and/or residential communities.
The Bias Education & Response Coordinator or designee, in collaboration with members of Bias Education & Response Team, tracks and reports on data, assesses trends, and identifies areas for training, prevention efforts, and policy development.
Champlain College’s 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.