Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Campus Climate Intervention Team

Relevant Excerpt

The Campus Climate Intervention Team (CCIT) was established in the fall of 1991 to foster an institution-wide climate free from acts of intolerance or prejudice and to establish protocol for responding to and monitoring acts of intolerance or prejudice should they occur.  The CCIT meets up to four times per year.  

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Acts of intolerance or prejudice are behaviors that are threatening, intimidating, and/or offensive toward a person or group of people based on their gender, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. 

The University provides support including counseling, teach-ins or others measures to support communities impacted by acts of intolerance or prejudice. Alleged perpetrators involved in the act of discrimination, harassment or intimidation may be adjudicated according to the University's Student Code of Conduct and may be subject to disciplinary action, if found guilty of violating the Code of Conduct, ranging from a disciplinary reprimand to suspension and expulsion from the University.  Moreover, Pennsylvania has an Ethnic Intimidation Act and an Institutional Vandalism Act. The Ethnic Intimidation Act provides for criminal liability when certain crimes are committed with malicious intention toward the race, color, religion, or national origin of an individual or group, a charge can be added to that of the original crime. This means the person found guilty of a violation of the Ethnic Intimidation Act can also face criminal penalties that can include fines or even possibly a term of incarceration.