The College sees prevention as a key element in decreasing the likelihood of bias crimes on campus. The following is a list of some of the preventive measures the College has undertaken:
- The Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, The Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Diversity, Advisory & Programming Subcommittee (DAPS), various faculty members, and guest speakers provide educational discussions on issues of bias, criminal actions, diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competency. These take the form of workshops, seminars, discussion groups, and film presentations throughout the year.
- All new students complete the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Sarah Lawrence module. This Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) module is part of the College’s effort to begin to create a common vocabulary through which all members of our diverse community can discuss and explore our cultural backgrounds, social identities, commonalities, and differences together in the coming weeks and years.
- The Director of Public Safety includes a section on bias-related crimes, policies, and laws during the safety presentation given to all new students.
- The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion examines and responds to issues related to prejudice and exclusion, and looks at ways to enhance diversity dialogue and understanding on campus.
- The College distributes and makes available an informational pamphlet on bias-related crimes. Included in the pamphlet are the following:
- Prevention information
- Information on the Hate Crimes Act of 2000
- Internal and external penalties for the commission of bias crimes
- College procedures for dealing with bias crimes
- The availability of counseling and other support services for victims of bias crimes
- The methods the College uses to advise and update students about security procedures
- The nature of and common circumstances relating to bias crime on college campuses