Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Feature by: Dr. John Johnson, Vice President for Inclusive Excellence

“Bias is the water, not the shark.”

This quote by Dereca Blackmon, a DEI educator and consultant, provides us with language to help us understand that we are constantly exposed to biased messages, biased narratives and that bias is more the rule than the exception. Just because bias is pervasive, does not mean that biased behavior is excusable or cannot cause harm. We all have to engage in the important work of narrative correction so that our biases do not lead us to act in unintended ways that harm others in our community. 

Whitman College has a bias incident reporting system because we believe that incidents that interfere or interrupt our efforts at creating an inclusive community are important to document and address, regardless of whether or not they constitute a policy violation or meet the standard for discrimination, harassment or retaliation. A bias incident could be a message posted on a campus building or a comment directed at you during a class discussion. A bias incident could be an offensive joke or a degrading party theme.   

Our online bias reporting system can be found on the Bias Response website. Once there, you may report any incidents or behaviors that negatively impacted someone based on their age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status. While not protected statuses, economic (class) or size-related bias incidents can also be submitted.

If the reported incident appears to be alleging discrimination or harassment, it will be routed through a specific process for assessment and (if necessary) investigation according to state and federal regulations. If the reported incident is a policy or conduct violation and the necessary information for follow-up is provided in the report, the incident will be shared with the appropriate administrator to take the next steps. A bias incident may not necessarily meet the standard for discrimination or harassment, rise to the level of a crime or constitute a violation of campus policy. Bias incidents may, however, still contribute to creating an unwelcome community environment and are deserving of our attention. 

Reported incidents of bias are reviewed by the Director of Equity and Compliance, Cassandre Beccai, who will respond or, when prudent, refer the incident to the appropriate campus administrator to address. If you experience a bias incident, please consider utilizing our bias reporting system. The system helps us document bias, monitor the campus climate, and intervene to de-escalate community concerns. Your reports, which can be submitted anonymously, also helps us identify areas where more substantive institutional interventions may be necessary to address bias and ensure that Whitman is an inclusive and welcoming community for all.

Please join us in welcoming the following new Whitman faculty and staff members who started in August:

The Welty Student Health Center provides free COVID-19 symptomatic testing and masks to students, faculty and staff. Please consider wearing a mask for the first week or two of the semester as our campus sees an influx of individuals returning to campus from a variety of locations and a national uptick in COVID-19 and RSV cases.

Whitman Masters Swim Team is an adult (18+) swim team for fitness swimmers, triathletes, competitors and everyone in between. Early morning swim workouts take place throughout the year, with pauses during academic breaks.

Membership fee is $120/session, with approximately 35 scheduled practices in each session. Participants should be comfortable swimming 1500–2000 yards over the course of an hour. The first practice began this morning, but you can still sign up. Questions? Email Jenn Blomme  at blommejb@whitman.edu.

Whitman faculty and staff are invited to attend an “Opening of the Year” meeting with President Sarah Bolton on Thursday, Sept. 5 at either 8 a.m. or 4 p.m. in Maxey Auditorium. Two meeting times are provided to fit different schedules.

Whitman faculty and staff are invited to participate in a QPR Suicide Prevention Training provided by Counseling Center staff. The QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) model has been proven to decrease suicide risk in communities like ours. Participants will be certified as a QPR Gatekeeper, valid for one year. The training will take place on Friday, Sept. 6 from 1–2:30 p.m. in Maxey 104. Space is limited, so please RSVP in advance and email questions or accommodations requests to QPR@whitman.edu. (Flyer attached.)

The Interest House Community (IHC) will host a block party on Saturday, Sept. 7 from noon–3 p.m. Enjoy some carnival-style fun with an inflatable obstacle course, international foods, a dunk tank, arts and crafts, and other activities from each of the interest houses. (Flyer attached.)

The 2024–2025 academic year is officially under way. Welcome to all of the new people who are joining our campus community this year, including new faculty members (pictured)!

Noon

Information Session: Whitman Internship Grant

Reid Campus Center, Room 240 (RSVP)

4 p.m.

What Is African Classical Music, Really?

Hall of Music, Room 202

Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.

Produced by the Office of Communications, Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.

All submissions are welcome! If you have accomplishments to celebrate, an event to publicize or other Whitman content to share, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon for the following day’s newsletter. Submissions may be edited and/or held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. Your submission also authorizes use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.

Find us on social media: @whitmancollege