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KNOW YOUR CAMPUS

· Policies, procedures and funding
According to the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay-rights organization, hundreds of colleges and universities have policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. But thousands don't. Does yours? If it doesn't, what message does that send?

What other policies help or hurt attempts at diversity and tolerance on your campus?

Also, find out how university funding of minority student groups or academic departments has changed over the years. When budget cuts come down, is that the first place to get trimmed?

· University history
In the wake of a hate crime at the University of Virginia, the school published a frank essay explaining that, "For much of U. Va.'s history, diversity was a predicament to avoid rather than a goal to embrace."

The essay offered an unvarnished view of institutional racism, including turn-of-the-century racist comments made by past university officials; student-newspaper editorials supporting a whites-only theater on campus in 1961; and other moments of racism, exclusion and insensitivity.

Activists can empower themselves by researching and making use of their institution's record on issues of hate.

· Fraternities and sororities
When it comes to bias incidents on college campuses, the question of fraternity involvement arises easily and often. Some watchdogs even calculate the probability of bias incidents based on the number of fraternities on a given campus.

Tolerance.org has covered the issue extensively, detailing blackface parties, KKK costumes, historical and ongoing segregation, fund-raising "slave" auctions, racialized and homophobic hazing practices and other incidents that make it difficult to discount the role Greek organizations play in promoting campus bias.

That said, fraternities and sororities at some campuses have taken steps to include diversity and sensitivity training as part of their orientation for new members. More such work should be encouraged.

· School spirit
One major campus has a school song that includes the word "gay," bearing the old-fashioned meaning of happy and carefree. After the word is sung, many students shout, "Not gay!"

That's not school spirit. That's bias.

Ask yourself tough questions about so-called school spirit. Does it create an atmosphere where bias thrives?

Do school rivalries promote intolerance? Are opposing students dehumanized in anticipation of the annual Big Game?

Likewise, does elitism parallel racism and bigotry? If your school is the best, does that mean some other school has to be the worst? When does campus pride turn into jingoism?

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