Campus Connection

UW-L has worked hard to increase awareness and reporting of hate and bias incidents on campus, says Assistant Chancellor of Student Affairs Paula Knudson. To “broaden the net” to include the entire campus community, the Student Life and Campus Climate offices and the Hate Response Team hosted an open Hate Response training session Thursday morning, Aug. 2, in Valhalla, Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition. Shane L. Windmeyer, founder of the National Stop the Hate Train the Trainer Program, taught 93 UW-L faculty, staff and students the difference between hate and bias incidents and hate and bias crimes and encouraged them to educate others about the importance of reporting incidents so that they can be addressed before they escalate into crimes. “We need to create an environment where students are empowered to stand up for each other,” says Windmeyer, who has trained more than 2,000 people to prevent and respond to hate crimes. A hate or bias crime is any criminal act or attempted criminal act, motivated, in whole or part, by the victim’s actual or perceived race, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability. For a hate or bias incident to qualify as a hate or bias crime, two variables must be present: 1) A crime must take place; 2) That crime must be motivated by bias against characteristics included in federal, state and/or local statutes. Knudson encourages everyone who has experienced, witnessed or learned of a hate or bias incident to report the incident online at www.uwlax.edu/campusclimate/reporthate.htm or contact the Office of Student Life at 785.8062. “We need to keep the pulse on what’s happening at UW-L so that we can continue to improve campus climate.” Find out more about UW-L’s hate response efforts at www.uwlax.edu/campusclimate/hrt.htm.