1
00:00:04,010 --> 00:00:07,470
Hello, my name is Byron Hughes and
I serve as dean of students, and

2
00:00:07,470 --> 00:00:10,860
this is an InclusiveVT Insight.

3
00:00:10,860 --> 00:00:13,140
What happens when I report bias?

4
00:00:13,140 --> 00:00:17,100
As a community, the faculty, employees,
and students of Virginia Tech

5
00:00:17,100 --> 00:00:21,486
have defined their collective values based
on mutual respect and understanding and

6
00:00:21,486 --> 00:00:24,200
have pledged to: a) affirm
the inherent dignity and

7
00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,770
value of every person; b) create and
maintain a respectful and

8
00:00:27,770 --> 00:00:32,010
welcoming environment for all; c) foster
and sustain an increasingly diverse and

9
00:00:32,010 --> 00:00:35,800
inclusive community of learners;
d) develop an appreciation for and

10
00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,016
understanding of the benefits of
multicultural perspectives; and

11
00:00:39,016 --> 00:00:42,470
e) establish a set of policies,
programs, practices, and

12
00:00:42,470 --> 00:00:47,780
resources necessary to achieve excellence,
equity, and effectiveness in the research,

13
00:00:47,780 --> 00:00:51,324
teaching and learning, and
outreach activities of our university.

14
00:00:51,324 --> 00:00:58,060
Creating and facilitating a culture of
respect, equity, justice, responsibility,

15
00:00:58,060 --> 00:01:02,310
and safety is paramount for developing
a learning community where all community

16
00:01:02,310 --> 00:01:07,506
members can commit to unwavering
curiosity; pursue self-understanding and

17
00:01:07,506 --> 00:01:12,092
integrity; practice civility; prepare for
a life of courageous leadership; and

18
00:01:12,092 --> 00:01:16,842
ultimately embrace Ut Prosim (That
I May Serve) as a way of life.

19
00:01:16,842 --> 00:01:20,932
Our hope when reviewing your concerns of
bias is that we can be both proactive and

20
00:01:20,932 --> 00:01:24,522
responsive to the continuing
challenges presented in a community

21
00:01:24,522 --> 00:01:29,002
where as John Inazu says “inclusion and
dissent exist in a way that

22
00:01:29,002 --> 00:01:33,377
often results in marginalization,
isolation, and loneliness”.

23
00:01:33,377 --> 00:01:37,671
Our role when reviewing these concerns is
not to determine how behavior should be

24
00:01:37,671 --> 00:01:42,051
sanctioned, but to consider how people
are impacted in harmful situations and

25
00:01:42,051 --> 00:01:44,821
referring an incident to
the appropriate office if there is

26
00:01:44,821 --> 00:01:49,179
potential violation of the Code of
Conduct, local, state, or federal laws.

27
00:01:49,179 --> 00:01:54,510
Bias incidents are expressions against a
person or group because of the person’s or

28
00:01:54,510 --> 00:01:59,561
group’s age, color, disability,
gender (including pregnancy),

29
00:01:59,561 --> 00:02:03,751
gender identity, gender expression,
genetic information,

30
00:02:03,751 --> 00:02:08,351
national origin,
political affiliation, race, religion,

31
00:02:08,351 --> 00:02:12,841
sexual orientation, veteran status,
or any other basis protected by law.

32
00:02:14,142 --> 00:02:16,962
Reports of your experiences can be
submitted by visiting the Dean of

33
00:02:16,962 --> 00:02:23,242
Students Office website:
www dot dos dot vt dot edu.

34
00:02:23,242 --> 00:02:26,912
Your report will be emailed to
the Dean of Students and reviewed

35
00:02:26,912 --> 00:02:30,402
using the following questions that allow
my office to determine if the behavior

36
00:02:30,402 --> 00:02:34,942
described is bias-related: Does it
seem the incident is bias?motivated?

37
00:02:34,942 --> 00:02:37,252
Does it violate university policy?

38
00:02:37,252 --> 00:02:38,882
Does it violate the shared values and

39
00:02:38,882 --> 00:02:41,492
expectations of university
community members?

40
00:02:41,492 --> 00:02:43,342
Who is affected by the incident?

41
00:02:43,342 --> 00:02:45,212
Are there legal consequences?

42
00:02:45,212 --> 00:02:47,822
Might the incident be
investigated as a hate crime?

43
00:02:49,260 --> 00:02:53,620
We also assess the incident to determine
if it is localized – affecting one or

44
00:02:53,620 --> 00:02:55,410
a few of our campus members.

45
00:02:55,410 --> 00:02:59,170
Or, if it is community-based –
affecting a broader group of people and

46
00:02:59,170 --> 00:03:02,050
generating interest both on and
off campus.

47
00:03:02,050 --> 00:03:05,670
Upon determining if it is a bias-related
incident, along with its size and

48
00:03:05,670 --> 00:03:09,390
scope, a report will be referred to
appropriate offices for follow-up.

49
00:03:09,390 --> 00:03:13,750
For example, if the behavior described
constitutes some form of harassment

50
00:03:13,750 --> 00:03:16,555
it would be referred to either
Student Conduct, Title IX, or

51
00:03:16,555 --> 00:03:18,880
the Virginia Tech police department.

52
00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,780
If the behavior described is
an issue between roommates

53
00:03:21,780 --> 00:03:25,630
that would impact their living situation
or the experience in our residence halls,

54
00:03:25,630 --> 00:03:28,180
it would be referred to Housing and
Residence Life.

55
00:03:28,180 --> 00:03:31,760
If the behavior relates to a disability
it may be referred to Services for

56
00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,008
Students with Disabilities in case
it violates an accommodation.

57
00:03:35,008 --> 00:03:40,150
Reports of bias-related behavior
also permit me to consider trends

58
00:03:40,150 --> 00:03:44,280
in misconduct that could be impacting
the climate of our learning community.

59
00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:48,898
Aspects like numbers of reports, types
of incidents, and location of incidents,

60
00:03:48,898 --> 00:03:52,970
allow for me to convene campus
leaders around the challenging aspects

61
00:03:52,970 --> 00:03:54,210
of these situations and

62
00:03:54,210 --> 00:03:57,578
how Virginia Tech can be successful
in its efforts to be more inclusive.

63
00:03:57,578 --> 00:04:01,210
“This is Home” does not mean that
there will not be disagreement and

64
00:04:01,210 --> 00:04:05,640
conflict amongst our diversity of
identities, ideas, and backgrounds.

65
00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,060
However, it does mean we should be
able to find our way towards what

66
00:04:09,060 --> 00:04:13,150
interfaith leader Eboo Patel describes
as “common ground” – where people can

67
00:04:13,150 --> 00:04:15,470
disagree with people on
some fundamental things,

68
00:04:15,470 --> 00:04:19,030
while still having to work together
on other fundamental things.

69
00:04:19,030 --> 00:04:24,193
And, a critical piece to our common
ground is that differences in living and

70
00:04:24,193 --> 00:04:27,700
learning together do not have to
create harmful experiences for anyone.

71
00:04:27,700 --> 00:04:31,607
Whether, your experience is characterized
as a bias-related matter, or

72
00:04:31,607 --> 00:04:35,939
not, know that the Dean of Students Office
is place for you to start when determining

73
00:04:35,939 --> 00:04:40,333
how to make your Virginia Tech experience
a place where you can flourish personally,

74
00:04:40,333 --> 00:04:42,000
socially, and academically.

75
00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:46,730
For more information about Virginia Tech’s
commitment to diversity and

76
00:04:46,730 --> 00:04:51,241
inclusion, contact InclusiveVT at
www dot inclusive dot vt dot edu.