Campus Climate Incident Response Team Releases 2020-2021 Report

Jack P. Carroll ’24 

Managing Editor  

There were 10 incidents of intolerance on campus for the 2020-2021 academic year, according to the incident report released by the Campus Climate Incident Response Team (CCIRT) in an email addressed to faculty, staff, and students on Monday, Oct. 25. The email noted that this total refers to the number of incidents reported to the CCIRT “via the CCIRT reporting form or other methods such as Campus Safety Reports.”

“The Campus Climate Incident Response Team (CCIRT) was created as part of a comprehensive response to incidents of intolerance in our campus community. We represent each of the constituencies on campus: students, faculty, exempt and non-exempt staff, and administration,” said the email. “The CCIRT does not investigate or adjudicate incidents” (emphasis original). 

In addition, the team meets regularly to devise strategies of response to incidents of intolerance; develop networks of relationships across campus; collaborate with campus partners while responding to incidents; and anticipate campus needs and concerns. The committee also advises college personnel and offices regarding their responses to incidents; collects, records, and reports campus incidents and provides an annual report to the campus community each fall semester; and evaluates responses to improve college practices and shared life in community with a focus on restorative purpose.  

Among the 10 incidents of intolerance cited in the report, seven were acts of bias or uncivil behavior that involved offensive comments being made about or directed towards a person(s). Three of the 10 incidents were separate acts of vandalism that created a hostile environment in various residential halls. The responsible person(s) were identified in seven of the ten incidents; staff from the Office of Student and Community Life followed up with the responsible persons through the college disciplinary process and employed restorative justice practices when it was possible to address the harm within a community.  

The report also indicated that the CCRT held two conversations for the community in the spring. The team, along with the Inter-Greek Council (IGC) and Student Government Association (SGA), met with close to 90 students to discuss Trinity’s campus climate and ways to implement positive change. “Students shared experiences of unconscious bias and discussed ways to address them,” said the email.  

The CCRT includes of the following members: Joe DiChristina, Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management (Chair); Anita Davis, Vice President Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Vice Chair); Elizabeth Landell-Simon, Academic Administrative Assistant (Secretary); Trevor Beauford, Assistant Dean of Students; Jason Farrell ’23; Jody Goodman, Dean of Student Life and Director of the Bantam Network; Reverend Marcus Halley, Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life; Michelle Kovarik, Associate Professor of Chemistry; Rob Lukaskiewicz, Dean of Community Life and Standards/Interim Director of Campus Safety; Jim Mclaren III, Chemistry Technician and Assistant Chemical Hygiene Officer; Takunari Miyazaki, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Associate Professor of Computer Science; Irene Papoulis, Principal Lecturer in the Allan K. Smith Center for Writing and Rhetoric; Ayanna Platt ’22; Josef Riccio, Information Services Assistant; John Selders, Assistant Dean of Students; and Joelle Thomas, User Engagement Librarian.