Bias incidents cause pain and hurt for the targeted individuals, harm our entire community, and undermine the ability of members of our community to thrive. People who are the target of bias may stop contributing his/her/their unique perspective in the learning or work environment, suffer psychological distress, or even leave the community. When one person engages in acts of bias, our entire community suffers the effects.
Our Purpose
The Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) ensures students, faculty, and staff affected by bias or a bias-related incident have access to appropriate resources and assists the university in its response in situations that may impact the overall campus climate around inclusion and belonging. All reports of bias incidents are directed to the EO Officer and/or their designee(s), who in consultation with the BIRT co-chair will determine if the report is actually an EO Complaint, make necessary referrals, and determine whether a immediate convening of BIRT is warranted based upon the scope and/or gravity of the alleged incident. The Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) will have live access to the incident Dashboard and will receive a more detailed oral report of non-confidential information at each meeting. BIRT’s responsibilities:
- Serve as a resource to the campus community by referring and directing relevant parties or the incident response to appropriate campus individuals or departments.
- Review campus concerns for community impact, when there is no respondent evident; consider measures to remedy harm and recommend appropriately for potential implementation.
- Monitor Incident Dashboard, recognize trends, assist with tracking and collecting aggregate data, and recommend prevention and response efforts appropriately
- Inform the BIRT co-chairs of any concerns, which should be addressed before the next meeting.
The bias-response team does not take disciplinary action, conduct formal investigations or impinge on free speech rights and academic freedom.
What is a Bias Related Incident?
A bias incident is any behavior or act which is personally directed against or targeting an individual or group based on perceived or actual characteristics. Bias in and of itself is not necessarily prohibited. Humans are naturally inclined to favor or oppose many things. However when beliefs about or prejudice towards people or groups results in unfair or disproportionate treatment, the University takes notice. Furthermore, when such bias is based on legally protected characteristics - such as race, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status it may amount to a violation of Fitchburg State University policy or constitute a crime (i.e. hate crime).
When there is an emergency or a need for immediate assistance due to a risk to health or safety, the most appropriate first step is to contact University Police at 978.665.3111.
Bias Incident Reporting
Regardless of whether the respondent is known or not known, those who have experienced or observed a bias incident may report it by doing one of the following:
- Online
- Anonymously
- By Phone or In-person:
- Rebecca H. Newell
- Director of Title IX and Equal Opportunity
- rnewell7@fitchburgstate.edu | 978.665.3236 | Sanders, Room 202
The Team
The team is composed of individuals across campus whose job responsibilities are connected to its mission and purpose.
The team serves as informed community members about related laws, including civil and constitutional rights.
The team meets monthly and as needed to discuss concerns and trends as presented by the Office of Equal Opportunity, Student Affairs, and/or University Police. The team may evaluate incoming referrals from students, faculty, and/or staff and consider next steps. Guidance will be based on the type of incident and could include additional conversations with other administrative members of the Fitchburg State University Community based on the nature of the incident presented. The team can also be contacted at birt@fitchburgstate.edu.
2025-2026 Team Members
- Rebecca H. Newell, rnewell7@fitchburgstate.edu, Director of Title IX and Equal Opportunity (Co-Chair)
- Joshua Dodds, jdodds3@fitchburgstate.edu, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Programs
- Matt Bruun, mbruun@fitchburgstate.edu, Chief of Staff, President's Office
- Asher Jackson, ajacks19@fitchburgstate.edu, Head of Library Technical Services and Archives
- Andrew Lamarche, alamarc2@fitchburgstate.edu, Lieutenant, University Police
- Kat McLellan, kmclella@fitchburgstate.edu, Director, Academic Coaching and Tutoring Center
- The college’s response to a bias incident report will depend on various factors, including the nature and severity of the complaint, whether the respondent is known or not known, the reporting individual’s wishes, the effect on the campus community, and the college’s obligations under the law.
- You will hear from the University’s Equal Opportunity Officer within 48 hours to discuss your rights and options.
- Crimes should be reported directly to University Police. In the event a crime is reported through BIRT, it will be redirected to UPD.
- We will be committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals involved in a report of a bias incident. Every effort will be made to protect the confidentiality of individuals targeted and to maintain the confidentiality requested by the reporting party. The outcome of any reported incident will take into account the confidentiality of the involved parties.
Fitchburg State University’s Equal Opportunity Plan is the policy that outlines expectations and accountability regarding incidents that are rooted in bias and/or discrimination.
Although bias-related incidents cause harm, it is important to note that not every act which may be offensive to an individual or group will be considered to be discriminatory conduct or a violation of institutional policy. Whether a specific incident constitutes harassment proscribed by university policy will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Due consideration will be given to the protection of individual First Amendment rights to freedom of expression and academic freedom.
The university is a marketplace of ideas, inspired by free and transparent public discourse - where robust debate is encouraged. Instead of trying to censor or punish free speech, we seek to:
- Assist the reporting party in obtaining necessary resources
- Develop educational opportunities to address intolerance
- Make recommendations to assist with the prevention of future bias related incidents
Of course, people who commit acts of hate or bias that are not protected under the First Amendment may be subject to disciplinary proceedings or prosecution.
The Equal Opportunity Office will maintain a record of reported bias incidents and will provide a yearly summary of reported incidents to the campus community. No identifiable information will be included. Records of reported incidents will be maintained to identify patterns of reported bias on campus. This data is also available to the university community by contacting the Equal Opportunity Office for the most up to date information.
FAQs about bias, discrimination, and equal opportunity can be found on the Equal Opportunity and Title IX FAQs page.
Microaggressions
The term “racial microaggressions” was first coined by Pierce, Carew, Pierce-Gonzalez, and Willis in 1978. Derald Wing Sue (2007) expounded on this earlier work and defined micro-aggressions as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults to the target person or group,” (“Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life,” American Psychologist, May-June 2007, 272).
Hate Crime
Under Massachusetts law, Chapter 22C, Section 32, a hate crime is defined as “any criminal act coupled with overt actions motivated by bigotry and bias including, but not limited to, a threatened, attempted or completed overt act motivated at least in part by racial, religious, ethnic, handicap, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation prejudice, or which otherwise deprives another person of his constitutional rights by threats, intimidation or coercion, or which seek to interfere with or disrupt a person's exercise of constitutional rights through harassment or intimidation. Hate crime shall also include, but not be limited to, acts that constitute violations of sections thirty-seven and thirty-nine of chapter two hundred and sixty-five, section one hundred and twenty-seven A of chapter two hundred and sixty-six and chapter two hundred and seventy-two.”
Structural (systemic) Oppression
Structural oppression manifests when the mistreatment of people within a social identity group is supported and enforced by the society and its institutions, solely based on people’s membership in a specific social identity group. It refers to the ways in which dominance and supremacy are exercised within institutional structures, policies, and practices in order to maintain hierarchy based on race, class, gender, gender expression, sexuality, and/or other group identities. Structural oppression is often invisible and normalized within institutional settings.
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action is a critical element of the university’s commitment to equal opportunity and refers to proactive steps taken by the university intended to increase workplace opportunities for people who are underrepresented in various areas of our society as well as lift barriers that keep underserved students, including students of color, from equally accessing the benefits of higher education.
Selection for and participation in the university’s employment is without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, including sex characteristics, sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, marital or parental status, or Veteran status. However, the university shall act affirmatively to increase the representation of qualified persons in its workforce with marginalized and/or minoritized identities.
Furthermore, the university is a place where all students are welcome and should have the opportunity to succeed. The university is committed to efforts to recruit and retain talented students from underserved communities and fostering a sense of belonging for students currently enrolled. Through such efforts, the university strives to effectively support and retain students from diverse backgrounds.