Support Page Content
Enhanced Bias Reporting Resources
We're excited to share updates to our bias reporting process at Sac State. In alignment with the recommendations made from the President's 100 Days of Listening, enhancements to our bias reporting tool are as follows: refining bias incident definitions, updating Bias Reporting Tool (BRT) terminology, expanding bias categories, and enhancing our reporting user map.
Assesing Belonging
To measure the sense of belonging within our campus community. We will focus on four key elements: feeling valued, acknowledged, connected, and a sense of pride in being part of Sacramento State.
We will review and carefully consider the information shared by individuals during the bias reporting process and identify patterns that can inform broader campus experiences. Understanding these elements factors will help us create system-wide strategies that foster a more welcoming and inclusive environment.
BRT Terminology Update
To align with our commitment to a more supportive, understanding, and non-judicial approach to all parties, we've updated key terminologies in the Bias Reporting Tool (BRT). For instance, the terms complainant and respondent have been replaced with concerned individual and responding individual.
Intent vs. Impact
We understand that not all people intend to inflict harm or trauma. However, we also recognize in a society that has been historically rooted and grounded in hierarchies of human value expressed through anti-Blackness, anti-Asian hate, antisemitism, anti-immigrant, classism, colorism, exclusion, homophobia, Islamophobia, nationalism, regionalism, patriarchy, racism, and sexism, incidents may occur that are unconsciously or consciously biased.
Therefore, we encourage people to be mindful of how words, actions, and behaviors can be interpreted, misinterpreted, or experienced by others and may have a harmful impact on a person’s well-being and sense of belonging.
Use the link below to take the Havard Implicit Bias Test (IAT) to discover more about your own areas of conscious and unconscious bias.
Shift from Case Closed to Closure
Closure is a feeling, interaction, process, or combination that results in an individual who has experienced a traumatic situation or incident feeling they have resolved or restored trust.
Recognizing the emotional and personal impact of reported bias incidents, we are shifting from simply closing cases to pursuing meaningful closure for all parties involved. We use this approach to provide a more compassionate, trauma-informed, and comprehensive restorative response.
Provide Feedback
In our efforts to ensure that the BRT is more user-friendly and effective, the Belonging Education and Support team will be conducting usability and user experience research. Belonging Education and Support is dedicated to continuously adapting and enhancing our bias response protocols to better serve the diverse and evolving needs of our students, staff, faculty, visitors, and the broader Sacramento community. We value your feedback and encourage you to share your suggestions for additional enhancements to the process.
We are continuing to assess and improve the BRT user experience. Coming soon the creation of educational videos about the bias reporting process. We aim to increase awareness of the process for reporting bias and to address concerns in a succinct, transparent manner so that we foster a more inclusive and welcoming experience.
Educational Video on Bias Reporting Process (Coming soon)
To provide more awareness and clarity surrounding the bias reporting process, we will be publishing a 3-minute educational video that demystifies the process and provides viewers an opportunity to explore the bias reporting process from intake to closure.