Bias Reporting at Cornell

Report A Bias Button. Link directs you to the bias incident reporting form.

Since 2000, Cornell University has had a program to track bias that is occurring on all campuses in an effort to be proactive in creating an inclusive climate for all. In addition to university-wide civil rights compliance, the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX (OIETIX) is responsible for collecting and tracking all reported bias activity that occurs at Cornell University that could potentially impact our commitment to diversity and inclusion, including all reports made by faculty, staff, students, and visitors to the Ithaca, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Cornell Tech campuses.

If you have seen, heard, or experienced bias, you can make a report in the following ways:

Reporting is confidential and open to all

Anyone who directly witnesses or experiences bias activity (or finds evidence of or hears about past bias activity) on the Cornell campus or in an area that impacts the Cornell community should intervene in the moment as appropriate (e.g., contact Campus Police at 911, if a crime is in progress, or interrupt the behavior in as much as the observer feels skilled and safe). A report of the incident should be made as soon as possible.

Annual Reports

Each year, a report is issued that includes aggregate data of all reported bias activity from July 1 - June 30.


Information for bias incidents involving students onlyInformation for bias incidents involving faculty and staff


Frequently Asked Questions

Under Cornell’s specific definition, a bias incident is action taken that one could reasonably and prudently conclude is motivated, in whole or in part, by the alleged offender’s bias against an actual or perceived aspect of diversity, including, but not limited to, age, ancestry or ethnicity, color, creed, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, height, immigration or citizenship status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, religious practice, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or weight.

Under federal, state, and local laws, a bias/discrimination complaint calls for action or treatment in response to alleged bias/discriminatory activity directed against an individual because of that individual’s actual or perceived age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, ex-offender status, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any combination of these factors.

Under federal, state, and local laws, a bias/hate crime is defined as any criminal offense or attempted criminal offense that one could reasonably and prudently conclude is motivated, in whole or in part, by the alleged offender’s bias against an individual’s actual or perceived age, ancestry or ethnicity, color, creed, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, height, immigration or citizenship status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, religious practice, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or weight.

Cornell University is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning, living, and working environment for its students, faculty, and staff members free from unlawful discrimination based on protected categories, such as race, sex, religion, veteran status and disability. Cornell’s Policy 6.4 provides our community the means to address concerns of bias, discrimination, harassment, and sexual and related misconduct.  Two separate Cornell offices are responsible for implementing Policy 6.4 and assisting community members in Ithaca-based programs, including Cornell Tech.

The Department of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity provides leadership to the Cornell community in the areas of equal opportunity, affirmative action, and diversity.  The Department also receives and manages reports of bias incidents involving faculty and staff.

Office of the Dean of Students receives and manages reports of bias incidents involving only students.

The Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX is responsible for responding to reports and Formal Complaints of discrimination based on protected categories such as race, sex, religion, veteran status and disability, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, against faculty and staff members under Policy 6.4.  The Office on Institutional Equity and Title IX is also responsible for responding to reports of sexual and related misconduct against students, including sexual and gender-based harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation.  The office oversees Cornell’s compliance with Title IX of the federal Higher Education Amendment of 1972, including Title IX education and prevention efforts.