Discrimination & Harassment Resources
University of Vermont
Relevant Excerpt
UVM encourages any person who has experienced or witnessed discrimination, harassment, or bias involving protected identites to report the conduct to UVM's Office of Equal Opportunity and to utilize available support services.
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Discriminatory Harassment
A form of discrimination (defined above) that encompasses an incident(s) of verbal, written, visual, or physical communications and/or conduct based on or motivated by an individual’s actual or perceived membership in a legally protected category that is sufficiently severe, pervasive and/or persistent that it has the effect of unreasonably interfering with that individual’s work or academic performance, or that creates a hostile working, educational or living environment. Discriminatory harassment may include the use of epithets, stereotypes, slurs, comments, insults, derogatory remarks, gestures, threats, graffiti, display or circulation of written or visual material, taunts, and negative references related to any of these protected categories.
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Bias Concern
Verbal or nonverbal conduct that communicates hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons and is based on their actual or perceived membership in a category protected by UVM’s Equal Opportunity policies but where available information does not support initiation of an EO resolution process. Bias concerns may be intentional or unintentional. Regardless of intention, however, expressions of this kind can have harmful impacts on individuals and on the broader living and learning community. When this occurs, UVM seeks to offer support for members of our community in the spirit of Respect, Integrity, and Justice as articulated in Our Common Ground.
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About BERT
The impact of bias within the UVM community undermines efforts toward equity and inclusivity and causes distress and harm to those who experience it. The purpose of the University of Vermont Bias Education and Resource Team (BERT) is to monitor trends in reporting and to respond to the collective impact of bias concerns on campus. BERT also identifies supportive and educational interventions for circumstances that fall outside a clear policy violation.
The expression and discussion of controversial and differing views is encouraged as part of the educational experience. At times, those expressions may include hurtful or offensive language that negatively impacts individuals and the campus community, but is nevertheless protected by the First Amendment. UVM will not stifle or discipline these expressions, but will provide space for those impacted to be heard and to receive supportive resources tailored to the situation. UVM encourages students, faculty, and staff to share their experience when they have been impacted by bias.