Sam Dunaway | News Editor
Current Western students may have noticed a recent email in their inbox from university president Rex Fuller. The email emphasized Western Oregon University values such as community, diversity and respect, and introduced the recently developed Bias Reporting Form. But what is the Bias Reporting Form and what does it mean for Western students?
The form was created as a result of a bias-related incident that occurred in Monmouth last year. The individuals involved in the incident noted that there was not a clear path that they could follow to report what had happened. The university CARE Team, a team composed of staff members from various departments, took it upon themselves to create this form in hopes that it would simplify the process of reporting bias-related incidents for students and community members.
The Bias Reporting Form can be found on the Division of Student Affairs webpage on Western’s website. Students that have experienced or heard about a bias-related incident have the opportunity to complete the form online. Within the document, there is an option to remain anonymous and list details of the incident. The CARE Team then reviews the Bias Reporting Form and finds resources for the students involved.
“That’s our primary goal: to support students,” explained Tina Fuchs, Dean of Students and CARE Team Chair. “And continue to evaluate best practices in terms of how we address issues that might be coming up on campus.”
The CARE Team is made up of individuals from several campus departments including Campus Public Safety, the Student Health and Counseling Center, Student Success and the Vice President for Student Affairs. Fuchs explained the importance of this team, stating, “This gives us an opportunity to have all of those experts come in and look at that and do the best we can to support our students. I think by bringing multiple people together to do that, we’re giving them the best opportunities. We’re responding in the best way we can.”
Fuchs explained that the name “CARE” stands for Campus Assessment, Response and Education Team. In addition to supporting student concerns, the CARE Team also gives training and presentations to students regarding working with distressed individuals and responding to information on sexual misconduct. Fuchs emphasized, “We’re not just a response team. We’re also a team that educates.”
President Fuller hopes that the bias reporting form will be an easy and accessible method of incident reporting. When asked why the form is important to have available, Fuller replied, “The process is intended to support our campus values that were reaffirmed in the recent strategic planning process. These values are community, diversity and respect. I believe that all universities, especially Western, have a sacred trust with society to be places that are safe for all members of their respective communities.”
Find the Bias Reporting Form at wou.edu/student and contact Tina Fuchs at fuchst@wou.edu for more information.
Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu
Photo by: Paul F. Davis
