Harm Response Options

CVPA is committed to cultivating a welcoming, inclusive learning environment free of harm for all community members.

Our community is one that values creativity, collaboration, and mutual respect. When individuals or group actions or behaviors conflict with our values, we must respond purposefully with support, resources, and avenues for accountability and restoration. The types of grievances experienced or witnessed inform what option is available to the person(s) addressing the grievance.

Students of color make up 40 percent of Mason's student body.
Students of color make up 40 percent of Mason's student body.

How to Report Bias and Discrimination

There are several pathways for reporting bias and discrimination at Mason.

  1. You may report discrimination to the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community (OACC). The Office of Access, Compliance, and Community defines discrimination as, “any impermissible act or failure to act, based wholly or in part on membership in a protected class, which adversely affects existing privileges, benefits or working conditions and results in the disparate treatment of—or has a disparate impact on—members of the Mason community.

    If you feel that you have been discriminated against based on your belonging to a protected category, please report to the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community.

    Retaliation from reporting to/filing report with the OACC office is prohibited under Policy 1201. 

  2. You may report bias to the OACC co-facilitated with the Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement (CLIE). CLIE defines a bias incident as “conduct, speech, or expression that is motivated in whole or in part by bias.” Such are usually associated with negative feelings and beliefs with respect to others race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, political affiliation, disability, veteran status, club affiliation or organizational membership.

    For FAQ on bias reporting or if you believe you have experienced or witnessed a bias incident, please report to the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community to learn more.

  3. You may report discrimination or bias incidents directly to the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Co-facilitated by the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community (OACC) and Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement (CLIE), the Bias Incident Response process is a timely, healing-centered and education-focused response to potential bias incidents, as well as a means to track trends and promote activities that may mitigate or prevent similar occurrences in the future.  Individuals connected to bias response are comprised of a network of university employees able to provide support, resources, and education to individuals who have been subjected to or impacted by an act of bias.