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Student Center for Inclusion & Belonging

Bias Education and Support Services

What is a Bias Incident?

A bias incident is an act or expression of prejudice, belittlement, hostility, hate or discrimination directed against a person or group based on their actual or perceived sex, disability, race, age, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, marital or parental status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or physical or other personal characteristics (protected class identities). Bias incidents may consist of verbal, written, graphic, and/or physical conduct such as epithets, jokes, graffiti, negative stereotyping, and threatened or actual physical assault. A bias incident may constitute discrimination, discriminatory harassment or a hate crime depending on the facts and circumstances.

How to report:

  • Please fill out the bias incident reporting form. Depending on the incident you may be notified by campus safety. If you feel you are in danger please contact campus safety directly at 407-646-2999.
  • The incident report notification process will allow the Bias Education Support Services (BESS) Team to connect with the affected party/parties and refer them to the proper resources and support.
  • If you have questions, you may contact any member of the BESS Team listed below.

Other Definitions

Discrimination
Unequal, unjust or prejudicial treatment based on protected class identity or association that adversely affects an individual’s ability to fully participate in the educational opportunities or the terms and conditions of employment at Rollins College.

Discriminatory Harassment
Unwelcome verbal and/or physical conduct directed at an individual based on protected class identity or association that has the purpose or effect of creating an objectively intimidating, hostile or offensive educational or work environment (hostile environment harassment). This includes hate-motivated acts or expressions targeting a person or group based on their protected class identify or association.
Unwelcome conduct constitutes discriminatory harassment when:
• it is targeted against a person or group on the basis of their protected class identify or association; AND
• it is sufficiently severe or pervasive that it creates an environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, hostile or offensive; OR
• submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's education or employment; OR
• submission to, or rejection of, such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for academic or employment decisions affecting that individual.

Hate Crime
A criminal offense (against person or property) motivated in whole or in part by the offender's bias towards a particular individual or group because of their protected class identity.

What is the Bias Education and Support Services Team (BESS)?

A group of faculty and staff who are committed to creating a proactive response to instances of hate and bias.

What is the Team’s Response?

  • Support those who experience bias or feel targeted by hate-related acts.
  • Refer them to resources and support services available on and off campus.
  • Educate the campus community about the impact of hate and bias.
  • Promote initiatives and new ideas that further a welcoming, bias and hate-free climate.

BESS process chart

BESS Team members: