The University of Virginia Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) recognizes that individuals within our community may witness, experience, or learn information about harmful actions or planned action on UVA Grounds, on social media, and in the greater Charlottesville community. In such situations, we want to ensure that our community members know where to go for help and support.
First and foremost, EOCR urges you to be vigilant in your own self-care (physically, psychologically, and emotionally). We also encourage you to inform the University as well as local officials as soon as possible should you become aware of actions or information that pose a risk to the safety, security, and well-being of all members of the University and Charlottesville communities. You can report a broad range of activity, even if you are unsure if it is bias or harassment, through Just Report It, the University's online reporting tool, and the information automatically will be routed to the appropriate University office for follow up. In the event of an emergency, please first contact 911.
The following is a compilation of resources and information to support you in these efforts:
If you witness or experience bias, harassment, or discrimination, there are University and local resources available to assist you. Incident types may include (but are not limited to):
- Verbal, physical, or written confrontations
- Flyers
- Banners
- Chalkings, graffiti, or other vandalism
- Digital communications
- Social media posts
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Students |
Faculty & Staff |
Visitors |
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Practicing self-care in response to emotionally and psychologically challenging events is a very personal but critical process. The following University resources are available to support you:
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Students |
Faculty & Staff |
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Your physical safety and well-being are a University priority. Resources to support you include:
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Students |
Faculty & Staff |
Online harassment, sometimes referred to as “cyber-harassment,” commonly refers to threatening or harassing online conduct targeting a specific person or group to cause distress, fear, or anger. Potential activities may include but are not limited to:
- Repeated emails, instant messages, or website entries
- Hacking accounts or creating false accounts
- Indirectly using or disseminating personal information
The following resources are available to support you should you experience or learn about online/cyber harassment:
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Students |
Faculty & Staff |
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Bias and harassment incidents may also involve other modes of communication. Nationally, there has been an increase in the use of robocalls/texts to widely disseminate messages, the content of which expresses biases against targeted individuals or groups. To learn more please access the summary of information, linked below, from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In addition to Just Report It, you can also report supicious calls, texts, or apparent scams directed toward your University phone(s) to abuse@virginia.edu.
The University of Virginia has policies which:
- Prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
- Prohibit sexual and gender-based harassment and other forms of interpersonal violence
- Require responsible employees to report sexual and gender-based harassment
- Establish standards for student and staff conduct, as well as faculty ethics in our community
- Prohibit unapproved assemblies on University property and promote safety
- Structure the administrative response team during critical incidents
- Protect free speech and academic freedom
We encourage you to review the information at the links above to learn more about your rights and responsibilities.
The following table provides connections to resources, programs, and courses which may be of interest.
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Faculty and Staff Development |
Academic Courses |
Community Programs |
Reading/Viewing List |
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UVA HR Learning: UVA Center for Teaching Excellence
Faculty Development: Workshops & Events |
Community Based Courses |
Charlottesville Resources Jefferson School African American Heritage Center UVA Resources UVA Power Violence Inequality Collective The Democracy Initiative at UVA
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- Charlottesville Events
- Charlottesville Community Programs/Initiatives
- Engage at UVA - Weekly Event Notification - Email Sign-up
- Academic Outreach
- UVA Community Programs/Initiatives
- Sustained Dialogue at UVA (Students)
- Power, Violence, Inequality Collective (Research and Scholarship)