Leaders add new bias report resource

A new Bias and Hate Reporting page is available on the CSB+SJU website, and the administration is working with student leaders to bring awareness to this resource.

“The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which all members of the CSB and SJU community are treated with respect and dignity, free from bias and harassment,” the webpage says.

The webpage includes a bias incident toolkit and incident response form. The toolkit is intended to provide information on campus reporting procedures and resources, as well as information on how the institutions will respond to reports.

“Bias incidents include verbal, nonverbal and written conduct or behavior that is threatening, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, and is based on an individual’s identity or group affiliation… A hate crime is a criminal act committed against a person or property that is motivated by the offender’s bias against the victim’s identity or group affiliation,” the toolkit says.

The new digital reporting form is intended to increase accessibility for students to report incidents of hate and bias involving students, faculty or staff members. Incidents are received by Mary Geller, the associate provost for student success, as well as Campus Security, Life Safety and the director for Multicultural Student Services.

“The form is easily accessible for anyone in our community and available at all times. Prior to this people may not have known to whom to report a bias incident and we were not tracking the reports as a whole to understand what kinds of incidents were being reported. Now, it’s online and easily and readily accessible,” Geller said via email. “Furthermore, as a Benedictine institution we value and respect the dignity of every person and we need to hold ourselves accountable to that value.”

Nayeli Bucio, the vice president of the St. Ben’s Student Senate, has been working to educate the student body on the new process.

“It is essential for students to be informed on [the reporting process], as it ensures that community members are held accountable,” Bucio said. “This form provides a support system for those experiencing the harm inflicted by the incidents.”

Evan Mattson, the vice president of the St. John’s Senate, has also been working with the administration to help make students aware of the form.

“There’s been a huge push for something like this, which is necessary to help push us forward as a college to help everyone feel included,” Mattson said.

The form is currently available on the website and has already been used. The administration encourages students to include their contact information on the submission, but there is an option to remain anonymous for students who feel uncomfortable sharing their name. Reports will be reviewed within a few days, and the administration will follow up with the reporter as soon as possible.

“When we talk about the Pat Hall sexual assault incidents and RA reports, there’s been this issue of accountability in general: what happens? You are able to use this form as that opportunity to know what will happen,” Mattson said.

Bucio clarified that while the reporting form is an important step, more needs to be done to create a fully inclusive community for all members. She is hoping the administration will thoroughly address individual reports, as well as respond to recurring problems with further preventative action.

“More needs to be done to hold individuals accountable, as well as increase the support system available for students,” she said. “Administrators and staff members have the potential of utilizing the bias reporting system to identify patterns of reoccurring events to increase implicit bias training, or accountability where needed.”

Specific information defining bias incidents, explaining the importance of reporting and details about what reporters can expect throughout the process are available on the CSB+SJU Bias and Hate Reporting website.