1. B.I.R.T. U of L’s Bias Incident Response Team http://louisville.edu/biasresponse

2. W HY B.I.R.T.? According to the University of Louisville’s Diversity Vision Statement: “[U of L ] strives to foster and sustain an environment of inclusiveness that empowers us all to achieve our highest potential without fear of prejudice or bias. Bias incidents include: Conduct or behavior (verbal, nonverbal, or written) that is threatening, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or hostile and is based on a person’s identity or group affiliation, including (but not limited to) such things as race, age, disability status, gender, gender identity/expression, national origin, sexual orientation, or religion. Hate Crime Generally defined in federal and state statutes as a criminal offense committed against a person or property that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender's bias against the victim’s identity or group affiliation. The University values freedom of thought and expression, respect for multiple points of view, and the civil and open expression of these views. Bias acts or hate crimes do not include speech or behavior that an individual or the university merely disagrees with or finds offensive.

3. W HAT IS B.I.R.T.? A group of faculty and staff who are committed to creating a proactive response to instances of hate and bias in the following ways: Support those who are targeted by hate or bias; Refer them to the resources and services available; Educate the campus community about the impact of hate and bias; Promote initiatives and new ideas that further a welcoming, bias- and hate-free climate at U of L.

4. B.I.R.T. C ONNECTS T HE D OTS B.I.R.T Existing Campus Resource Victim of bias/hate incident

5. H OW D O I C ONTACT B.I.R.T. Two ways to contact a member of the Bias Incident Response Team: Call: 502-852-BIRT (2478) Email:BIRT@louisville.edu BIRT will follow up with you promptly, make an appointment to discuss your concerns, and help you determine next steps. Contacting the BIRT does not obligate you to take any action and no official record of what you share is kept on file.

6. T HANK Y OU Learn more about BIRT at: http://louisville.edu/biasresponse