A Bias-Related Incident is characterized as a behavior or act—verbal, written or physical—which is personally directed against or targets an individual or group based on perceived or actual characteristics such as race, color, religious belief, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, or age.

Examples of bias-related incidents may be signified in act(s) of intolerance, such as:

- Defacement and vandalism
- Racial epithets written on someone’s dry-erase board
- Posting or commenting on social media related to someone’s identity in a bias matter
- Racially themed parties
- Using a racial, ethnic, or other slur in a joke or to identify someone
- Threats, destruction of personal property, harassment, or threatening telephone calls or electronic mail
- Ridiculing a person’s language or accent
- Insulting a person’s traditional manner of dress
- Hate messages and symbols
- Language and imagery objectifying women
- Other subtle (and extreme) examples of bias incidents

The University encourages all bias-related incidents to be reported using our online form.