About Incident Reporting
Types of Reporting
Bias Report
A bias incident is conduct, speech or expression motivated, in whole or in part, by bias or prejudice. It differs from a hate crime in that no criminal activity is involved. Bias, in and of itself, is not illegal and each state has different laws that govern hate crimes and hate incidents motivated by bias. Therefore, each report submitted is handled on a case-by-case basis.
Report a Grievance or Bias IncidentGrievance Report
A grievance report is a formal documentation of a perceived wrong or unjust or unfair act committed by a faculty or staff member that is believed to cause the student some form of distress. These reports are provided to the department supervisor or chair for follow-up or resolution.
Report a Grievance or Bias IncidentIncident Report
An incident report provides documentation of an event involving students, usually for formal follow-up/investigation by Public Safety, the Office of Student Conduct or Dean of Students for resolution.
Report an IncidentTitle IX Reporting and Concern
Title IX is a federal law that protects students and employees from sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, sexual violence, and relationship violence.
Report a Sexual AssaultFrequently Asked Questions
Each submitted report serves as a data point of grievances, incidents, and bias activity on our campus, and the datum is used to inform annual Clery Act reporting as well as to select potential themes for educational programming for our community. Filing a report helps the College create a safe environment that supports the educational mission of the institution.
Any member of the Allegheny College community can report and incident involving members of our community.
Report suspected bias incidents by submitting the form linked above, or by contacting one of these offices:
Campus Safety
Dean of Students
IDEAS Center
• Office of Student Conduct
• Online
• Title IX Officer
What To Include in Your Report
Keep any evidence, including photographs, written notes, documents and contact information for witnesses or other persons involved with the incident. File a report immediately following a perceived incident occurs to preserve the accuracy of information.
Please Note: A lack of “hard evidence” or significant time lapse since an incident occurred should not discourage you from filing a bias report but may limit what actions can be taken.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you may omit your name and contact information on the form. However, anonymous reports can make follow-up more difficult and/or lead to an unsuccessful investigation. For the community’s greater good, you’re encouraged to include your contact information.
What To Expect Once You Have Filed a Report
If you provide contact information, an Allegheny College official will contact you to determine an appropriate response. Working together with the appropriate staff member will allow you to develop a plan for next steps that takes into account your needs. Students willing to meet with additional campus resources will be made aware of available options.
If you choose to remain anonymous, the College will follow up on the incident as reasonably feasible, based on the information provided.
Is a Bias-Related Incident the Same as a Hate Crime?
Bias-related incidents and hate crimes both involve behavior that is motivated by bias. Bias-related incidents are defined as behavior which constitutes an expression of hostility against the person or property of another because of the targeted person’s age, creed, disability, ethnic or national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, political or social affiliation, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Even when offenders are not aware of bias or intend to offend, bias may be revealed which is worthy of a response and can serve as an opportunity for education.
Bias-related incidents, while abhorrent and intolerable, do not meet the necessary elements required to prove a crime. However, bias-related incidents do require the active participation of a community committed to fundamental human dignity and equality to successfully address.
Hate crimes are also motivated by bias, but they include a definable crime, such as: threats of violence, property damage, personal injury and other illegal conduct. A hate crime is an infraction of the law and will be addressed accordingly. Please report hate crimes to the Meadville Police Department at 911.
All case outcomes will be shared with students and appropriate offices/departments. A final statistical report with outcomes of all incidents, grievances and bias reports will be shared at the close of the semester.
Definitions
The system of oppression that stigmatizes, marginalizes, and dehumanizes people on the basis of their perceived lack of “normal” abilities.
Treating someone negatively because of their actual or perceived age, creed, (dis)ability, ethnic or national origin, gender/gender identity/gender expression, marital status, political or social affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation. Some examples of bias incidents include telling jokes, name calling, stereotyping, offensive graffiti or posters, avoiding and/or excluding others. Bias stems from fear, misunderstanding, hatred and stereotypes.
The institutional, cultural, and individual set of practices and beliefs that society uses to assign different values to people according to their socioeconomic status; and an economic system which creates excessive inequality and causes basic human needs to go unmet.
The system of oppression that privileges and normalizes cisgender people while punishing and exploiting transgender people, treating them as deviant, wrong, and unacceptable.
The unequal treatment of members of various groups based on race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion and/or other social identities.
A system of oppression that privileges heterosexual identities, relationships and characteristics while marginalizing, stigmatizing, and invalidating queer ones.
A hate crime is a criminal offense committed against a person or property that is motivated by the offender’s bias against the actual—or perceived—age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, religious practices or sexual orientation of the targeted person or group. Examples include graffiti, destruction of property, the threat of violence or intent to harm.
The fear, hatred, or intolerance of lesbians and gay men and/or behaviors that fall outside of traditional gender roles. Homophobic acts can range from name calling to violence targeting LGBTQ+ people.
Behaviors associated with microaggressions are insults, actions or comments that contribute to an environment or experience that is not welcoming to a person or group based on their age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, religious practices or sexual orientation.
A prejudgment or unjustifiable, and usually negative, attitude of one type of individual or groups toward another group and its members. Such negative attitudes are typically based on unsupported generalizations (or stereotypes that deny the right of individual members of certain groups to be recognized and treated as individuals with individual characteristics.
A form of oppression based on the socially constructed concept of race exercised by a dominant racial group over non-dominant racial groups. Racism operates on internalized, interpersonal, and institutional levels.
The system of oppression which privileges and empowers men while devaluing and exploiting women. Misogyny is a part of sexism and involves the widespread hatred of and contempt for women and womanhood.
Psychological, physical, and emotional harm that results from unjust and exploitative institutions and systems. Structural violence is born out of an unequal distribution of and access to goods, resources, and opportunities, which historically has favored wealthy, white Americans and translates into the way social, economic, and political systems are formed.
