The Bias Incident Reporting Hotline is a centralized mechanism for MSU campus community members to report bias incidents. The Hotline is intended to make reporting as easy as possible and to efficiently direct the community member to the appropriate campus resources.
It is the hope that campus community members will take an active role in reporting bias incidents in order to ensure that MSU remains an inclusive campus. Bias incidents may be targeted at specific individuals, but they can also affect an entire group or community.
What is a Bias Incident?
Bias incidents are incidents of verbal or non-verbal conduct or behavior that is threatening, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or hostile and is based on a person's: age, color, disability status, gender, gender identity, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status or weight.
Please be aware, however, that just because the expression of an idea or point of view may be offensive or inflammatory to some, it is not necessarily a bias-related incident. MSU values freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas and, in particular, the expression of controversial ideas and differing views that is a vital part of the University discourse.
What is Ethnic Intimidation?
Ethnic intimidation is a bias incident that also constitutes a criminal act under Michigan law. The law that makes ethnic intimidation a criminal offense states as follows:
1. A person is guilty of ethnic intimidation if that person maliciously, and with specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, gender, or national origin, does any of the following:
A. Causes physical contact with another person.
B. Damages, destroys, or defaces any real or personal property of another person.
C. Threatens, by word or act, to do an act described in subdivision A or B, if there is reasonable cause to believe that an act described in the subdivision A or B will occur.
2. Ethnic intimidation is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or by a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.
The Michigan Penal Code (Excerpt), Act 328 of 1931
If you believe that you are a victim of ethnic intimidation, please contact the MSU Police at 517-355-2222.
Types of Bias
Discrimination – Discrimination is defined by MSU’s Anti-Discrimination Policy as any inappropriate limitation of employment opportunity, access to University residential facilities, or participation in educational, athletic, social, cultural, or other University activities on the basis of age, color, disability status, gender, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight.
Harassment – Harassment is prohibited by MSU’s Anti-Discrimination Policy against any University community member(s) on the basis of age, color, gender, gender identity, disability status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight. Behavior is considered harassment if it is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that a reasonable person would find that it alters the terms or conditions of a person’s employment or educational experience, or it unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work or performance in a course, program, or activity, thus creating a hostile or abusive working or educational environment.
Sexual Harrassment – Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome requests for sexual favors, or other unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature when:
1. submission to such behavior is made, explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual's employment or status in a course, program, or activity; or
2. submission to or rejection of such behavior is used as a basis for a decision affecting an individual's employment or participation in a course, program, or activity; or
3. such behavior is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that a reasonable person would find that it:
A. Alters the terms or conditions of a person’s employment or educational experience, or
B. Unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work or performance in a course, program, or activity, thus creating a hostile or abusive working or educational environment.
Reporting a Bias Incident
If the bias incident is an emergency, please call 9-1-1 to receive immediate attention. If the bias incident is not an emergency, you can call the central bias reporting Hotline (517) 432-3650, operated by the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives and the Office of Student Affairs and Services, to be directed to the proper campus resource.
You can also feel free to directly contact any of the following campus resources to discuss a bias incident. Several of these offices also provide education and training resources related to bias incidents (e.g., prohibited harassment, sexual harassment and intercultural awareness).
Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives
Kristine Moore, J.D.
krmoore@msu.edu
(517) 432-3898
Women's Resource Center
wrc@msu.edu
(517) 353-1635
Office of the Ombudsman
ombud@msu.edu
(517) 353-8830
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities
rcpd@msu.edu
(517) 353-9642
Office of Lesbian-Bi-Gay and Transgender Resource Center
lbgtc@msu.edu
(517) 353-9520
Human Resources-Employee Relations
Scott Sowulewski
sowulews@msu.edu
(517) 884-0103
Faculty Grievance Officer
John Revitte
revitte@msu.edu
(517) 353-8884
Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions
oresa@msu.edu
(517) 353-7745
Department of Student Life
stulife@msu.edu
(517) 355-8286
Department of Residence Life
reslife@msu.edu
(517) 353-3780
Counseling Center
(517) 355-8270
24 Hour Sexual Assault Hotline (517) 372-6666
Department of Police and Public Safety
info@dpps.msu.edu
(517) 355-2222
Office of The General Counsel
(517) 353-3530