The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 3 - 64

Pamela Altmaier

Evaluating Severity. The first aspect that
students evaluated during their decisionmaking and reflection processes was to evaluate the severity of each experience. When
participants spoke about their evaluation of
the severity of previous incidents, they often
evaluated if the incident had the possibility to
cause long-term effects. If students perceived
previous experiences to have the potential for
personal or professional long-term effects,
they were more likely to disclose to more individuals in the future, if a similar incident
were to happen again. The participants spoke
to two types of long-term effects: (1) impact on
their goals and educational pursuits and (2)
potential that the perpetrator would continue
to cause harm.
Participants spoke to the long-term effects
of the incident affecting their future goals and
educational pursuits and how the effects contributed to their decision-making for reporting future incidents. For example, Stephanie
experienced bias from the campus police. She
explained that she was thinking about disclosing her experiences to university employees,
since she now has a police and conduct record
as a result of the incident. She was very worried
that this police record could have detrimental
effects later in her academic and professional
career. Similarly, Sol disclosed being targeted by
a faculty member. Now she is constantly thinking about how her grade and interactions with
her faculty member will affect her in the future.
She indicated that she would likely talk to the
faculty member or the chair of her department,
if a similar experience were to occur again.
In addition to personal and professional
effects, the perception of potential long-term
effects on the community also influenced
64

Safe and inclusive environments
can only be created if housing
professionals are trained on
proactive practices when addressing
bias-related incidents; on how
they can impact systematic and
individual change through
community development; and on
ways to go beyond self-defining as
allies and being perceived as allies.

students' decisions to disclose. Participants
described their concern for societal endorsements of bias-related incidents. Some mentioned their fear of others experiencing the
same incidents that they do every day. Franco
talked about her regret for not addressing the
incident she experienced.
But now as a graduating senior, and if this
happened to me, especially in the residence
halls, I would probably tell the staff of the
building, at least someone I feel very close
with. Because like-I recognize that not only
was this a personal insult, but what if it was
ongoing and they made other people with
identities similar to mine feel uncomfortable
where they live.
She spoke to her desire to protect others
from the experience she faced and her willingness to disclose if that disclosure would stop
the experience from happening to another.

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 3

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