Student Complaint Process

Informal Complaint Form
Formal Complaint Form
Bias Incident Reporting Form

Student Complaints

The official University process for reporting student complaints, including incidents of discrimination bias, includes two levels. Students may submit informal feedback and via the Informal Complaint Form, which is submitted to Law School administrators. This form may be used to submit feedback on issues big and small, from complaints about facilities to reporting of a bias incident.

Students may submit formal feedback, as detailed in the Student Complaint Policy, via the Student Complaint Form. This process is managed by the University’s Student Development office, in partnership with Law School leadership and the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion. 

If information obtained through the Informal or Formal Complaint forms leads administrators to believe that bias activity and/or sexual misconduct has occurred, that information will be passed along to the offices overseeing bias activity and/or sexual misconduct as described below.

Bias Activity

The University of Richmond is committed to being a diverse and inclusive community, strengthened intellectually and socially by the range of knowledge, opinion, belief, political perspective and background of its members, whether of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, ability status, age, religious, economic or geographic origin.

Because bias activity has the potential to adversely affect the members of the University community and to undermine the climate of civility and respect necessary to achieve and maintain a diverse and inclusive community, the University has developed a protocol designed to supplement existing University policies and procedures and to coordinate University resources in response to complaints of bias activity. You can learn more at the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion office on campus.

As used in this protocol, the term 'bias activity' includes the following:

  • Bias/Hate Crimes: Defined as any criminal offense or attempted criminal offense that one could reasonably conclude is motivated, in whole or in part, by the alleged offender's bias against an individual's actual or perceived age, ancestry or ethnicity, color, creed, disability, gender, immigration or citizenship status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, religious practice or sexual orientation.
  • Discrimination: Defined as a violation of the University's Harassment and Discrimination Policy, other applicable University policies and procedures and/or applicable anti- discrimination laws.
  • Bias Incident: Defined as acts that do not appear to constitute a crime or actionable discrimination, but which may intimidate, mock, degrade, or threaten, individuals or groups and which one could reasonably conclude targets a member or group within the University community because of that individual or group's actual or perceived age, ancestry or ethnicity, color, creed, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, immigration or citizenship status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, religious practice or sexual orientation.

Report a Bias/Hate Crime

Students, faculty, and staff who are victims of or who witness activity that is or could reasonably be considered a bias/hate crime, including but not limited to assaults, attempted assaults, destruction or damage to property or defacement of property should report such activity immediately to University Police anonymously or using the URPD Silent Witness reporting webpage. Where appropriate, the University Police will notify the Bias Resource Team of reports of bias/hate crimes occurring on campus.

Report Incidents of Discrimination

Students, faculty, and staff who are subjected to or believe they may be the subject of discrimination prohibited by University policies or applicable laws or who witness potential 12 discrimination should file a complaint in accordance with the University's Harassment and Discrimination Policy. Complaints of discrimination may also be made, informally, to the director of the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion Ground, Dr. Glyn Hughes, who shall assist the individual making the complaint in pursuing such complaint through applicable University policies and in accessing available University resources for support and guidance. You may contact Dr. Hughes at ghughes@richmond.edu.

Report a Bias Incident

Students, faculty, and staff who are the subject of or who witness a Bias Incident may report such incidents to the director of the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion Ground, by completing this bias incident reporting form. The Student Center for Equity and Inclusion Ground director will assist individuals making reports in identifying appropriate University resources for support and guidance, and will notify the members of the Bias Resource Team of such reports.

Academic Freedom

This protocol shall be interpreted and implemented in a manner consistent with the University's commitment to academic freedom, as described in Article III (F) of the Faculty Handbook.