Hanover College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Hanover College is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and diverse college environment. We seek candidates of all backgrounds regardless of age, race, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, national origin, marital status, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status. No person, on the basis of protected status, shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under any College program or activity, including with respect to employment terms and conditions. We embrace diversity and encourage all who are interested to apply.

https://www.hanover.edu/about/employment/

Community Alliance and Resource Team
Hanover College Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

The students, faculty, staff, and trustees of Hanover College are committed to providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus so that all feel welcome to seek academic, personal, and moral growth within a community that is safe, challenging, and responsive. We embrace diversity in recruiting and retaining students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds regardless of age, race, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, national origin, marital status, political viewpoint, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status. We recognize that our definition of diversity must be inclusive, porous in its boundaries and ever evolving, changing as our campus, our society, and our vision of the world changes. It must also create a safe space for the discussion and debate of well-reasoned, thoughtful, and constructive ideas of all kinds. We strive to practice respect, compassion, and understanding for one another, so that all may participate in the open and free exchange of ideas necessary for a meaningful education and a successful democracy.

Bias

Any harmful behavior that is motivated by an individual or group’s actual or perceived status (sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, pregnancy status, religion, or sexual orientation, or other protected status) that limits or denies the ability to participate or benefit from the College’s educational program or activities or that creates an intimidating or hostile environment. Incidents of bias would include hostile/hateful speech, intimidation, and threats, microaggression, the use of slurs, targeted vandalism, and other similar acts or speech. A bias incident is an action or behavior committed against another person or property that is motivated by a person's bias or prejudice. If you experience, witness or learn of a bias incident report it.

Report bias incident

What happens when I submit a bias incident report?

The reporting party receives a written confirmation email including available campus resources within 48 hours of submission. The Community Alliance Resource Team reviews the report and provides referrals and additional supports as needed. The report will be routed to other appropriate departments/college units when necessary.

Discrimination

Any act or failure to act that is based upon an individual or group’s actual or perceived status (sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, pregnancy status, religion, or sexual orientation, or other protected status) that is sufficiently severe that it limits or denies the ability to participate in or benefit from the College’s educational program or activities. Incidents of discrimination would include (but would not be limited to) denying or limiting an individual/group equal access to facilities or resources to which they have a right of access, discriminatory employment practices, discriminatory grading practices, denial or preventing participation in a campus organization.

Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are criminal offenses committed against a person or group that are motivated, in whole or in part, by bias against the person's or group's sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, race, religion, or disability. If you see it, hear it, report it immediately by calling Campus Safety at 812.801.1533.

All hate crimes are bias incidents, but not all bias incidents are hate crimes. Examples of bias incidents that fall short of hate crimes:

Comments that express harmful stereotypes about the above categories, e.g., racial jokes.
Graffiti on a dorm room white board that expresses bias against the above categories, e.g., sexist or racist language or images. (Note: If the graffiti constitutes criminal vandalism or property damage, it can constitute a hate crime.)
T-shirts with language and imagery that objectify women, propagate hatred to specific groups, or display imagery associated with or symbolic of hate groups.
Students promoting or hosting special events centering on the discrimination or marginalization of others.

What is CART?

The Community Alliance and Resource Team (CART) supports the Hanover College community (students, faculty, and staff) who witness or experience acts of discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, race, religion or disability. Team members are committed to working confidentially as allies with individuals or groups as they process, evaluate, mediate, and respond to incidents of discrimination.

The Community Alliance and Resource Team also seeks to serve as a resource for the professional and cultural development of the Hanover College community. The team will work collaboratively with campus departments and student organizations to provide: a) comprehensive and interactive diversity training sessions, b) safe zone training certification, c) intergroup dialogue and mediation sessions, and d) culturally inclusive programming. Although the Community Alliance and Resource Team includes representation from Hanover College Title IX officials, reported incidents regarding sex or gender-based discrimination shall be referred directly to the college's Title IX officials.

What does CART do?

The team operates on the basis of the Hanover College Principles to promote understanding, respect, civility and education.

The team assists members of the Hanover College Community who report bias incidents. Our primary function is to support students, faculty, and staff who witness or experience bias incidents. We support them by listening to their accounts of their experiences and discussing resources and both formal and informal options for moving forward. These reports are completely confidential, unless they involve felonies, the threat of violence, or Title IX violations, in which case we will report them to Security and/or the Hanover College Title IX officials. The individual who reports the incident is in charge of the process, and the team will not take any action that is not authorized by the reporter. Individuals may make reports whether or not they want to take action.
The team serves as a resource for the professional and cultural development of the Hanover College community. The team offers comprehensive and interactive diversity training sessions, safe zone training certification, intergroup dialogue and mediation sessions, culturally inclusive programming.
The team keeps annual statistical records of bias incidents on campus. At the end of each year we compile an anonymized statistical summary of the reports received during the year. We do not reveal information that would compromise our confidentiality policy. The goal in these efforts is to keep the college's leadership abreast of the cultural climate of the campus and to guide cultural programming in effort to address the specific needs of the institution.
What CART is not?

CART is not a judicial body. The team does not decide guilt or innocence and do not mete out punishment.
CART is not an investigative team. Team members don't go on fact-finding missions. We take reports about bias incidents and, if the individual wants to, we discuss options for how the individual might move forward. If the individual opts to file a formal grievance and initiate campus judicial proceedings, then an investigation will be carried out through that process, which is overseen by the Rules Application Committee (RAC), not CART.
CART is not a crisis response team. Anyone in a dangerous situation (e.g., a violent or potentially violent situation) needs to contact Campus Safety immediately at 812.801.1533. If the situation involves a bias incident, we can take a report at a later time.
CART is not the thought police or speech police. We don't tell people what to think or how to talk. We do support the individual's ability to feel safe, at home, and welcome in our community is frustrated by the prejudicial behavior of those around them.
Who are We?

The Community Alliance and Resource Team membership is comprised of individuals from all sectors of the Hanover College Community. The team includes representation from the college's Faculty, Office of Environmental Health and Safety, Office of Study Abroad, Athletics Department, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Title IX Officials, and Office of Human Resources. The team also benefits from the consistent involvement of designated student leaders.

Although the Community Alliance and Resource Team includes representation from Hanover College Title IX officials, reported incidents regarding sex or gender- based discrimination shall be referred directly to the college's Title IX officials. Click here for more information on Title IX reporting. Individuals interested in officially reporting an incident to the Hanover College Office of Human Resources should contact that office directly to begin formal reporting procedures. Click here to contact the Office of Human Resources.

https://www.hanover.edu/studentlife/diversity-equity-inclusion/

Please see site. https://www.hanover.edu/studentlife/diversity-equity-inclusion/

Our Education Preparation Program has a formalized recruitment and retention plan to recruit candidates from a broad range of backgrounds and diverse populations.
For the last four data cycles, the EPP has met its goal of recruiting two non-white student and was able to retain the candidates for 24.5% to 31% of its graduating cohort.

Academic staff programs:
• All faculty positions must include at least one required qualification that pertains to experience with/commitment to diversity and inclusion and applicants are expected to address how diversity and inclusion are relevant to their work.
• Search committees must submit a diversity recruitment plan prior to the position being advertised. This includes both advertising strategies and direct recruitment efforts.
• When the committee proposes a slate of semifinalists to interview via Zoom, HR and I review the diversity present in the applicant pool and may require the committee to expand the number of applicants they interview or to continue recruiting before interviewing. A similar review occurs prior to approving finalists for campus interviews.

By hosting graduate interns from Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, our Counseling Services department has been able to offer counselors for the student population who are Black, male, female, and Queer. Students from some of the underrepresented populations have been responsive to this outreach, but interns are accessible to the entire student body.

We have included the Department of Education's 2022-2023 "Equity and Inclusion Recruitment and Retention Plan" as an example of how students from underrepresented groups are recruited to the college.