Bias Reporting and Response

Whitman College is committed to building a campus community that is diverse, equitable and inclusive of all students, staff and faculty. Bias incidents—that cause hurt or discomfort based on individual characteristics such as race, gender, religion or sexual orientation—disrupt these goals and can cause harm to individuals and our community.

If you have experienced or witnessed bias in the Whitman College community, you can report this using our online incident reporting form. 

What Happens When I Report a Bias Incident?

Reports will be treated as confidentially as possible. If you identify yourself on the form, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Thomas Witherspoon will either contact you directly or designate an appropriate member of Whitman staff to discuss details of the incident and work with you to reach a timely resolution. He can also provide you with information about other resources that may be helpful.

While not all bias incidents involve a violation of Whitman's policies and procedures, a bias response team member can also help you evaluate whether you wish to pursue disciplinary action against a member of our campus community, based on Whitman's grievance policy.

How does the Bias Response Process work?

The bias response process is not designed to replace or extend Whitman's formal grievance policy. Not every incident of perceived bias violates Whitman College policy or the law. Yet, many of these incidents can still cause harm to members of our community and we believe it worthwhile to work toward an appropriate resolution in these cases. In cases where there is no clear violation of law or Whitman policy, will expect resolutions to be educational in nature and not punitive.

Support and Resources

You can speak to any of the individuals listed below to report or discuss a bias incident.

Anyone listed under "Confidential Resources" is not a mandatory reporter, and will keep any conversations they have with you about the incident confidential unless you specifically request that they report it. Most Whitman faculty and staff, including those listed as "Mandatory Reporters" below, are obligated to refer bias incidents they are told about to the appropriate college department for further action.