Report Bias
Statement on Commitment to Community
Cal Poly is committed to maintaining a broad and inclusive community that values diversity and fosters tolerance and mutual respect, in which all members embrace core values of academic excellence, open inquiry, free expression, and diversity. Membership in the Cal Poly community is consistent with the highest principles of shared governance, social and environmental responsibility, engagement, and integrity. We embrace and encourage our community differences in age, disability, race or ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran or military status, and other characteristics that make our community unique. All community members have the right to participate fully in Cal Poly’s programs and activities free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation (bias).
Bias Incident Response Team
The Bias Incident Response Team is co-chaired by the Dean of Students and Vice President for the Office of University Diversity & Inclusion. The team works to support and provide resources to those who report and/or witness acts of bias in our campus community. In accordance with California State University Executive Orders 1096 and 1097, the team will refer alleged incidents to the appropriate campus administrators for review and follow-up, in addition to offering available resource services and support.
What is a Bias Incident?
A bias incident is an alleged act of discrimination or harassment that is directed toward an individual or group of individuals because of their age, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and/or veteran or military status, or any other legally protected groups. A bias incident may be an alleged physical, spoken or written act of abuse, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and/or intimidation; a bias incident may also be an alleged restriction or prevention of free movement of an individual because of that individual’s protected personal characteristic.
What is a Hate Crime?
The State of California has defined a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property, or interference with someone else’s civil rights, motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender or sexual orientation.” Offensive speech in and of itself is not a crime and is generally protected by the First Amendment, with some very limited exceptions. When an allegation of a hate crime is made on campus, the Cal Poly Police Department (CPPD) will respond and investigate.
How to Report
Anyone who has knowledge of or has experienced a bias incident, on or off campus, involving Cal Poly students, faculty and/or staff, may report the incident in a variety of ways.
