Overview
NIRSA is dedicated to providing welcoming and collaborative environments, where every individual is treated with dignity and respect. We strive to ensure our community remains a place where bias has no foothold.
The NIRSA Bias Prevention & Response Protocol is designed to provide a structured, supportive, and educational way for our community to address incidents of bias, whether intentional or unintentional, and to reduce the impact of bias on individuals and the Association as a whole.
Training Videos
Engaging in conflict remediation is a skill that must be practiced and polished in order to be effective and useful. As NIRSA continues to embrace inclusive excellence and support learning and professional development for members through the newly established Bias Incident Prevention & Response Protocol, “The Power of Calling In” training video exclusively for NIRSA members shares frameworks and encourages reflection on how to enhance member conflict-management skills.
These videos encourage all participants to embrace the gift of feedback.
These videos are only available to NIRSA Members. Login to access the videos.
What Is Bias?
Bias refers to behaviors, comments, or actions—whether conscious or unconscious—that reflect prejudice or stereotypes and may cause harm to individuals or groups. This includes microaggressions and other subtle or overt behaviors that marginalize or exclude.
Who can report?
NIRSA recognizes that bias can show up in many spaces, during meetings, conferences, events, or even informal interactions. Through this policy, anyone within our association or who has attended a NIRSA-sponsored event is encouraged to report an incident of bias they experience or observe. This is not about blame, but about creating opportunities for learning, healing, and accountability.
Two types of bias
As outlined in the NIRSA Bias Prevention & Response Protocol, bias encompasses a range of behaviors, including discrimination, harassment, and actions that demean or intimidate individuals or groups based on their personal characteristics, beliefs, or forms of expression. NIRSA defines two types of bias incidents. They are described as:
- Contained Bias Incident – a comment, activity, or event that is seen or heard by a few people (e.g., in a small meeting, 1-1), violates NIRSA policy or applicable law, or has no interest from media or larger investigative bodies
- Community Bias Incident – a comment, activity, or event that is seen or heard by many, violates NIRSA policies or applicable laws, or has interest from the media or larger investigative bodies
The Impact & Purpose of Reporting
Instances of bias resonate far beyond a single moment, affecting both individual wellbeing and the health of our professional community. When an incident is reported, our primary goal is to provide meaningful support, lessen the resulting harm, and work toward healing and restoration.
From Reporting to Resolution
At NIRSA, we view reporting as a vital step toward long-term growth; it serves several critical functions, including:
- Driving education: We leverage the insights gained from reports to shape our outreach and design educational initiatives that prevent future occurrences.
- Catalyzing organizational change: Reporting highlights specific areas within our organization that require immediate attention or additional resources.
- Strengthening our collective voice: By coming forward, individual experiences are transformed into a shared narrative that helps us better understand and address systemic challenges.
Why This Matters
The purpose of this protocol is to help NIRSA leaders:
- Respond compassionately and constructively to incidents of bias
- Prevent the escalation of harmful behaviors
- Build a more transparent and trusting community
- Create shared understanding and a culture where every member can thrive
Reporting an instance of bias is a meaningful act of care. It provides volunteer leadership and association staff with a vital opportunity to reflect on our association’s collective impact, deepen our mutual understanding, and continue the essential work of building a welcoming and accessible association together.
The Bias Prevention & Response Protocol was funded by the NIRSA Foundation.