University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Report an Incident

Campus Belonging Response Process

Alma Mater Statue at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on a summer day

Campus Belonging
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Campus Belonging process provides a mechanism for members of our campus community to share concerns about behaviors that negatively affect their experience on campus, educates the campus on relevant issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, free speech, and academic freedom, and strives to consistently affirm our institutional commitment to a campus environment that values diverse perspectives and constructive dialogue.  

Step One: Report Review 

  • The Campus Belonging staff meets weekly to review each report submitted. 
  • If an e-mail address is provided, an automatic e-mail is sent to the reporter confirming receipt of their report. Campus Belonging staff will contact the reporter within two business days (Monday through Friday) unless the reporter has indicated that they do not wish to be contacted or if no contact information is provided. 
  • Any reports involving University Housing will be immediately shared with University Housing’s Bias Incident Staffing Team. 
  • In compliance with federal law, all applicable reports will be shared with the University’s Clery Act Compliance Coordinator in the Division of Public Safety. 

Step Two: Outreach to Parties

  • Outreach to Reporter: When contact information is provided and the report requests to be contacted, Campus Belonging staff will first reach out to the individual who submitted the report to gather additional information and to assess for next steps.
  • Outreach to Impacted Party: If the person(s) who is identified as the individual impacted by the reported incident differs from the reporter, Campus Belonging staff will contact the impacted party to inform them of the report, the role of Campus Belonging, and the Campus Belonging process. Campus Belonging staff will offer to schedule a meeting to discuss resources, options, and how the impacted party would like to be involved in potential next steps in the process. In time-sensitive circumstances, this message and any meeting with the reporter/impacted party may occur prior to the staff review.
  • Outreach to involved parties: The Campus Belonging staff may contact other involved parties to inform them about the report and offer resources and an opportunity to engage in the Campus Belonging process. Staff may offer a facilitated conversation, mediation, or other engagement opportunities if both the impacted party and involved parties are interested. 
  • Support for additional stakeholders: The Campus Belonging staff may contact other campus stakeholders, such as cultural centers or academic departments, if the incident may have impacted the broader community (e.g., classroom, department, building occupants). If stakeholders are interested, Campus Belonging can assist with a community-level response to the identified concerns, which could include community conversations and education about Campus Belonging. 

Step Three: Closure

The Campus Belonging process will conclude:

  • If there is no action that can be taken (e.g., no known parties, one of the parties involved is reported to be a member of the Illinois community but is not)
  • If one or more of the parties fail to respond to multiple outreach efforts
  • When the goals of the Campus Belonging process have been achieved to the satisfaction of the impacted parties
  • When efforts to engage the parties are unsuccessful
  • At the request of any the involved parties
  • If the reported incident did not occur within the university or Champaign-Urbana community or has no impact on the climate or members of the university community.

Additional Questions

If you have additional questions, please contact the Campus Belonging Resources transition staff at campusbelonging@illinois.edu or 217-300-9580. Learn more information about the Campus Belonging Resources process at go.lillinois.edu/CampusBelonging.