Bias Protocol
The University of Southern California’s Division of Student Affairs bears a central
responsibility for the provision to students of services and resources which will
assist in their total development – intellectual, social, cultural, physical, emotional
and moral. Consistent with this charge, the division has adopted the following statement
which informs and guides its policies and actions regarding the USC community.
USC is a multicultural community of people from diverse racial, ethnic and class
backgrounds, national origins, religious and political beliefs, physical abilities
and sexual orientations. Our activities, programs, classes, workshops/lectures and
everyday interactions are enriched by our acceptance of one another, and we strive
to learn from each other in an atmosphere of positive engagement and mutual respect.
We want to make explicit our expectations regarding the behavior of each member
of our community. As adults, we are responsible for our behavior and are fully accountable
for our actions. We each must take responsibility for our awareness of racism, sexism,
ageism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of oppression. Bigotry will not go
unchallenged within this community. No one has the right to denigrate another human
being on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or other aspects
of identity. We will not tolerate verbal or written abuse, threats, harassment,
intimidation or violence against person or property. In this context, we do not
accept alcohol or substance abuse as an excuse, reason or rationale for such abuse,
harassment, intimidation or violence. Ignorance or “it was just a joke” is also
not an excuse for such behavior.
All who work, live, study and teach in the USC community are here by choice, and
as part of that choice should be committed to these principles which are an integral
part of USC’s focus, goals and mission.
For contact information and resources, please visit the
Bias Protocol Website.
Bias Protocol Objectives
The Office for Residential Education aims to protect, educate, and inform all residents
of the challenges and benefits of living in a residential community. The objectives
of the bias protocol in promoting these goals include:
- Residents will become more aware of and sensitive to incidents of bias and hate.
- Residents will use the bias protocol to encourage healthy community development
and responsible free speech.
- Residents will feel safe and welcomed into diverse residential communities.
- Residential Education staff will educate residents about bias incidents in a timely,
consistent, and objective manner.
- Residential Education staff will track and analyze bias incidents to create more
effective response methods.
- Residential Education staff will participate in a protocol to support their mission
and core values.
Bias Incidents and Hate Crimes
We recognize that bias incidents and hate crimes which occur in our residential
communities impede our ability to achieve a student-centered, academically supportive
residential environment. It is our shared responsibility to understand what constitutes
a hate crime or hate incident in Los Angeles County:
Hate Crime
A hate crime is any unlawful action designed to frighten, harm, injure, intimidate
or harass an individual, in whole or in part, because of a bias motivation against
the actual or perceived race, religion, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation,
gender, or disability of the victim.
Hate Incident
Not all expressions of hate or group bias rise to the level of a hate crime as defined
in state and federal statute. Derogatory words or epithets directed against a member
of a protected class, as listed above if not accompanied by a threat of harm with
the ability to carry it out are considered protected speech and not a hate crime.
Hate crimes are reported by calling 911 if the situation is life threatening or
a crime in progress. If there is no immediate danger, hate crimes can be reported
by calling the local Sheriff's or Police Station.
Legislative Mandate to Report Bias Crimes
The Federal Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990 requires the Attorney General to establish
guidelines and collect data “about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based
on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.” The intent of this collection
is to indicate whether the offender was motivated to commit the offense because
of his/her bias against a racial, religious, ethnic/national origin, or sexual orientation
group.
Obligation as Administrators
For this reason, we must appropriately address such bias crimes and bias-related
incidents as they occur in our communities. We also recognize that such occurrences
create opportunities for us to respond as educators and promote values that are
consistent with our Residential Education Mission Statement and USC Principles of
Community and generate dialogue that will increase awareness and sensitivity to
these issues.
Resident Procedure
Residents can report incidents of bias to their Resident Advisor (RA), Residence
Coordinator (RC) or Assistant Director (AD). He/she will help connect the resident
with resources, counseling, or any other forms of support that he/she may need.
Residents can also report an incident using the Bias Incident Form.