According to University of Tennessee Hilltopics, the Office of the Dean of Students—in conjunction with other offices on campus—assists students and student groups to resolve incidents of bias. Students should report incidents of bias to the proper university authority, i.e.: UTPD, the Residence Hall director, etc. The report will then be forwarded to the Office of the Dean of Students. Students may contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 865-974-3179 with any questions or concerns. The UTPD diligently investigates all reported bias-based crimes. Our preferred response continues to be criminal prosecution. In an effort to make community more aware, reported data on bias based crimes is provided online. A hate crime, also known as a bias crime, is a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin.

If individuals or groups feel they have been victimized, they should report the incident immediately to the UTPD. Reports can be made by contacting us by phone at 865-974-3111 or by e-mail at utpolice@utk.edu.

If you believe that you have been the victim of bias but the bias was not part of a crime, or you would prefer not to report this information to the police, please refer to the Bias Education and Referral information at the Dean of Students Office. There you will find further information on bias, as well as way to report this activity to the University’s Bias Education and Referral Team.