“A Call for Solidarity in the Face of Bias and Hate”

November 16, 2016

To the community of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus, and the surrounding area:

Since the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic school year, 82 hate/bias incidents have been reported to the Campus Climate Office. Many more have gone unreported. As representatives of the student body, the Student Association leadership will not remain silent in the face of grievous student experiences being brought to light. We are committed to standing in solidarity with students of diverse backgrounds who have experienced bias and/or hate on and around our campus.

The attitudes and behaviors harming, frightening, and endangering our students and neighbors fundamentally contradicts our beliefs about community. All are part of the UWL community and all should be made to feel welcome.

Students at UWL have repeatedly been harassed and/or targeted through social media posts and in face-to-face incidents in and out of the classroom as well as in their living space. The safety and peace of mind of our campus community is being threatened; it is time we act.

All can contribute to making this campus a more inclusive place. In fact, 68% of hate/bias reporters have been “Upstanders.” Upstanders are individuals who have witnessed a hate/bias incident, recognized that something was wrong and acted to make it right. We can all be Upstanders.

As the UWL Student Association leadership, we call for the following immediate community-wide actions:

If you or someone else is in danger, or if you observe unlawful behavior, please call 911 or use one of the blue emergency phones located throughout campus to contact University Police. For non-emergency situations, call University Police at (608-789-9000) or City of La Crosse Police at (608-785-5962)
Document evidence of hate/bias incidents and submit a report to Campus Climate’s Hate/Bias Incident Report Form; anonymous reports are accepted. (http://www.uwlax.edu/campus-climate/)
Seek out supporting offices like Campus Climate, Student Life, Multicultural Student Services, the Pride Center, ACCESS, International Education & Engagement, Counseling & Testing, and Diversity & Inclusion
If hate and/or bias is experienced in the residence halls, please contact your RA and/or Hall Director as well as taking the actions listed above
If informed of bias and/or hate incidents offer your support to the survivor and;
Be understanding and empathetic of students who fear they are targeted by individuals in our community

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “in the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” We cannot and must not be silent on this issue. UWL is fortunate to have the longest standing hate/bias response team in the UW System. Let us utilize them to change UWL for the better.

When our students feel their well-being, integrity, or very lives are at risk, we lose their visions, voices, and patronage in our community. Without safety for the members of our community, we will all fail to thrive.

Patrick Brever Jacob Schimmel