Skip to main content

Hate & Bias

Home Info For Students Graduate & Professional Hate and Bias

We value the broad spectrum of human experience.

We work continuously to create an open atmosphere with meaningful opportunities to learn for all students, faculty and staff.

The sun sets behind Duke Chapel on a beautiful Spring day.
  1. To support the University’s commitment to respecting personal identities of each community member.
  2. To suggest avenues for recourse for individuals or groups found responsible for engaging in bias-related incidents.
  3. To make recommendations for educational interventions to help the larger University community deepen awareness and fluency on the diversity of human experience.
  4. To make recommendations for avenues of support for specific communities that may be impacted by bias-related incidents.
  5. To provide recommendations for institutional policies and procedures.
  6. To inform students, faculty, and staff about opportunities for students who may have experienced bias incidents to voice their experience.

A bias incident is an act or behavior motivated by the offender’s bias against the identity of an individual or community. Bias occurs whether the act is intentional or unintentional and may be directed toward an individual or group. A bias incident may take the form of a verbal interaction, cyber-interaction, physical interaction, or interaction with property. Bias often contributes to or creates an unsafe/unwelcoming environment.

The University takes seriously its responsibility to appropriately balance its core values of protecting individual freedoms (e.g., freedom of speech, artistic expression, freedom of association, academic freedom) and ensuring equal and fair treatment of all. These values may sometimes be in conflict. There are many considerations when determining whether bias-related conduct violates the University's expectations of members of our community. In so doing, the University is always mindful that academia is a unique place where the exchange of ideas, robust debate and artistic expression are critical to the University’s teaching and research missions. Any violation of the policy that is shown to be “motivated in part or whole by race, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, genetic information, or age” will be considered an aggravating factor that increases the stringency of the sanction.

We stress the commitment that students share with all members of the community to create a climate of honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability at Duke University. Students affirm their commitment to foster this climate by signing a pledge that includes taking constructive action if they witness or know about behavior they perceive to be hate or bias, which may include violation of university policies.

When an incident occurs and a report is submitted, information about the incident is shared with the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, and the Vice Provost & Vice President for Student Affairs. Either the Dean on Call or the Associate Dean for the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards will notify a variety of campus offices such as Campus Identity Centers, CAPS, Duke Police, Housing & Residence Life, and Student Involvement & Leadership. These offices will coordinate support for impacted communities.

Thank you for your willingness to report a bias incident within the community. Duke University is committed to being a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all students, faculty and staff. Fostering an inclusive climate includes taking constructive action if one witnesses or knows about behavior perceived to be inconsistent with the Duke Community Standard, which may include violation of university policies.

You may elect to submit an incident report here.

If you wish to report anonymously, you can use the Care Report here.