Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX: Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT)

University of Denver

  • Speech Code Rating
    Green
  • Speech Code Category
    Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
  • Last updated
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The University defines bias incidents as any behaviors that target individuals or groups based on their actual or perceived group identities. Examples may include but are not limited to: graffiti, harassment, jokes, direct insults, etc. The specific forms, content, motivation/intention and impact of bias incidents vary, but all detract from the inclusive community to which DU is committed. Therefore bias incidents are problematic for everyone within the University and for the University as a whole.

The University's Bias Incident Response Team (or "BIRT") is an internal working group tasked to coordinate campus response to bias incidents. BIRT does NOT investigate, adjudicate or otherwise participate in judicial/legal processes, but provides support to individuals and populations affected by such incidents.

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On their own and/or in combination with other actions, bias incidents may also constitute violations of:

  • the DU Honor Code
  • policies outlined in the Housing & Residence Education Guide to Residence Living
  • other University policies (e.g., discrimination or harassment), and/or
  • legal statutes (e.g., general and/or so-called "hate" crimes under local, state, and federal law)

Thus, beyond the Response Protocol described here, bias incidents may also be subject to investigation and adjudication by other campus offices and/or governmental bodies (e.g., police, EEO, etc).

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