Dear members of the Lafayette Community,
One aspect of Lafayette’s mission is to foster the free exchange of ideas in an environment that is safe and welcoming for everyone. We are fortunate that our community is comprised of people from a wide range of backgrounds. As members of our campus community, we have shared values such as inclusion, mutual respect, and support.
Unfortunately, there have been instances of bias or hate that have had a negative impact on our communities. The world was reminded of this reality when we woke up this morning to news of a terror attack on Muslim houses of worship in New Zealand. Bias or hate incidents of any kind are contrary to Lafayette’s community values and threaten the safety, well-being, and educational experience of all of us. Such incidents will not be tolerated and will be addressed whenever and wherever they occur.
The Bias Response Team was established by a coalition of students, faculty, and administrators to provide a mechanism to respond to acts of intolerance and to resolve conflicts in a spirit of civil discourse, accountability, and healing. This email serves as a routine, periodic reminder of how you can report a bias or hate incident.
If you experience or witness a bias incident or act of hate, please report this behavior to the College. Such actions may be based on bias or prejudice relating to identities such as race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity.
To report an act of bias or hate, please submit a One Pard universal reporting form. Students can also speak with a Resident Assistant, call Public Safety at 610.330.5330, contact Alex Hendrickson, chair of Bias Response Team, at hendrica@lafayette.edu. Faculty or staff should contact Dean John Meier (meierj@lafayette.edu) or Associate Vice President Alma Scott-Buczak (scotta@lafayette.edu) in Human Resources. If you provide your name, we will follow-up with you, but your confidentiality will be respected throughout the process.
Reporting incidents of bias is an important way to prevent future occurrences. At Lafayette, we hold each other to high standards and strive to create a caring and supportive community. It only takes one to make a difference. Please do your part to hold one another to high standards and create a caring and supportive community.