BIRT is an institutional priority identified by the College Committee on Inclusive Excellence.  Reporting to the Vice Provost of Student Life, BIRT is  composed of students, staff, and faculty who have received specialized training in the prevention of and response to bias incidents and hate crimes.

Current members:

Br. Michael Avila – Christian Brother and Faculty Member *

Cynthia Cutshall – Counseling and Psychological Services

Joan Iva Fawcett - Intercultural Center *

Currently Vacant - Dean of Students *

Becca Lopez – Office of Community Life

Sharon Sobotta – Women’s Resource Center

Jim Sciuto – Associate Dean of Students (Residential Experience & New Student and Family Programs)

Dai To – Counseling and Psychological Services

Adan Tejada – Public Safety

Sam Vado – Public Safety

* Notes staff who also serve on the College Committee on Inclusive Excellence (CCIE)

BIRT Core and Subcommittee Responsibilities

 Responsibilities of Core Group

1. Supervise and manage individual subcommittees to ensure progress and effectiveness.
2. Create guidelines outlining membership and participation.
3. Identify goals for future growth and development of BIRT and related programming.
4. Maintain communication and information sharing among subcommittees.
5. Communicate BIRT activity to the Saint Mary’s community.

Responsibilities of Promotion Subcommittee

Create and implement a marketing plan to promote the presence and purpose of BIRT.  This plan may include but is not limited to:

1. Website
2. Brochure
3. Flyers & posters campaign
4. Business cards
5. Mini-presentations addressing various campus groups

Responsibilities of Training Subcommittee

Design and execute two training modules: one for the Saint Mary’s community on how to report a bias incident or hate crime and one for new BIRT members on how to respond appropriately to such reports.  This subcommittee’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Training materials
2. Training schedule
3. Logistics for training
4. Recruitment
5. Assessment of training modules and curriculum

Responsibilities of Response Subcommittee

Establish and apply a response protocol to individually address all reports submitted to BIRT.  This protocol includes but is not limited to:

1. Response flow chart
2. BIRT meeting within 24 hours if response is requested
3. Saint Mary’s community notification
4. Provide or recommend a customized response
5. Document and share all reports and responses with the Saint Mary’s community

Responsibilities of Education & Assessment Subcommittee

Evaluate the campus climate around bias incidents, and create as well as facilitate long-term educational initiatives to proactively address these issues.  This subcommittee’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Observation of trends and patterns that emerge from BIRT reports
2. Development of partnerships to programmatically address recurring issues
3. Resource inventory of potential responses and programs