SA国际传媒

Bias Education and Support Team

SA国际传媒 is committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for members of the SA国际传媒 community.

Beginning in Fall 2022, the College launched the Bias Education and Support Team (BEST) to support the College鈥檚 commitment to a culture of greater inclusivity and belonging. At SA国际传媒, a bias incident is defined as a behavior, whether intentional or unintentional, that constitutes hostility against a person or group because of their real or perceived identity. SA国际传媒 recognizes that such incidents can have tremendous impact on our community and can cause significant harm, even where they involve protected free speech or otherwise do not qualify as violations of College policy. BEST seeks to address this harm by providing support to impacted students, educational opportunities for community members, and transparent information about the nature and frequency of bias events reported on campus.

Housed in the Division of Community & Equity, BEST aims to provide students who have witnessed and/or experienced a bias incident an opportunity to be heard and supported. BEST is an educational, non-punitive approach to addressing these issues. BEST does not have authority to impose discipline on any student and cannot compel students to speak with BEST or participate in any supportive or educational measures. Additionally, BEST does not play any role in any issues or concerns that occur in the classroom environment. BEST is designed to inform the community about bias incidents and respond to interpersonal interactions, relational dynamics, and/or on-campus incidents that are more difficult to define than harassment or discrimination, but still may have a significant impact based on identity characteristics including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual identity, socioeconomic class, educational level, religion/spirituality, national origin, ableness/disability, ethnicity, culture, size, English literacy, immigration status, and skin color, among others.  A few illustrative examples of bias incidents may include targeted graffiti, or transphobic jokes or racial epithets that may not be directed towards a specific individual. Bias incidents may or may not be intended to cause harm.

The BEST Incident Report Form is accessible to students . Please note the following:

  1. BEST is not part of the College鈥檚 disciplinary systems and participation is not mandatory by any member of the campus community. Violations of College policy are handled separately as described below.
  2. If you are a non-student and have a concern or issue, please consider contacting the following offices for support: Dean of Students Office or the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX. For emergencies, please contact Campus Safety at (323) 259-2599.
  3. If you have any questions or concerns regarding experiences within the classroom, we encourage students to reach out to their faculty member or instructor. Students are also able to contact the Department Chair or Kristi Upson-Saia, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs.

If you have witnessed or experienced a potential violation of the College鈥檚 Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy and/or the Discrimination, Harassment, & Retaliation Policy, please report it to the Civil Rights & Title IX Office. For more information on these policies, including how to report potential violations, please visit the Civil Rights & Title IX website or contact Alexandra Fulcher, SA国际传媒鈥檚 Civil Rights & Title IX Coordinator.

To report a violation of the Code of Student Conduct, please contact the Office of Student Conduct.

BEST members seek to address the impact of bias incidents through appropriate resources, restorative practices, and community care. Typically, this process begins with an invitation from a member of BEST to the reporting student to discuss their report, and to determine viable education or non-punitive outcomes that promote healing and an overall positive community environment. Examples of outcomes BEST has worked with students on include: 

  • Coordinating restorative conversations between students who may have experienced harm or disagreement; 
  • Working with campus partners to address vandalism or violations in or around campus buildings or spaces; and 
  • Working with student clubs and organizations to offer suggestions to improve their own guidelines and bylaws to be more inclusive of all students.


Core Team

The Core Team meets regularly to review all BEST reports, provides initial contact to impacted students, and refers students to campus resources best situated to provide on-going support and potential resolutions

  • Vanessa Gonzalez-Wright (co-chair), Director of the Intercultural Community Center
  • Caro Brighouse, Associate Dean of Student Academic Affairs
  • Asya Cook, Associate Dean of Students & Director of Residential Education, Housing Services, and Student Conduct
  • Carly Acuna, Case Manager, Dean of Students Office

Affiliate Team

The Affiliate Team represents a group of staff and faculty that represent various offices and departments on campus.  This team assists in providing students on-going support and potential resolutions for impacted students

  • Susan Young, Director of Religious and Spiritual Life
  • Ben Greenberg, Director of Jewish Student Life
  • Sabrina Willison, Sr. Associate Director of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement
  • Asya Cook, Assistant Director of Residential Education
  • Pilar Montenegro, Survivor Advocate, Project SAFE
  • Cori Vallembois, Assistant Athletic Director for Operations
  • Paloma Franco, Staff Therapist and Training Coordinator, Emmons Wellness Center
  • Danielle Harris, Associate Director of Racial Equity, Intercultural Community Center
Contact Community & Equity
AGC Room 108
Phone: (323) 259-1393
vpce@oxy.edu