What is a Bias-Related Incident?
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.

Behavior reflecting bias may constitute a violation of the Student Code of Conduct or our Communal Principles.

What are some examples of Bias-Related Incidents?
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 of Rochester strongly encourages the reporting of all bias-related incidents that occur on campus.