Current university policies protect all students and employees from discrimination and harassment based on identity, including the protected classes of religion, race, color, national origin, and ancestry. This protection extends to students and employees of all religious backgrounds, including but not limited to the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths. Relatedly, anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jewish people which may be expressed as hatred, as Islamophobia is to Muslim people. Moreover, rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism and Islamphobia can be directed toward Jewish, Muslim, and other individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish and Muslim community institutions and religious facilities. Anti-Semitism and Islamphobia can be a form of discrimination or harassment based on the protected classes of religion, race, color, national origin, and/or ancestry.

Behavior directed at a person, or a group of people, based on their actual or perceived religious, racial, ethnic or ancestral identity may be considered discriminatory when it includes things such as:

  • Slurs or stereotypes
  • Harassment for how someone looks, including skin color, hair style, or other physical features, or style of dress that reflects both ethnic and religious traditions
  • Harassment for how someone speaks, linked to ethnicity or ancestry, including names commonly associated with shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, speaking a language other than English, or speaking with an accent

Such negative and harmful behavior is contrary to our values as a university and will be addressed. When it is so severe or pervasive that it limits the ability of a student or employee to participate in or benefit from a university learning or work environment, it violates our campus nondiscrimination policies and will be addressed by the responsible campus or system authority. When the behavior is constitutionally protected speech and does not violate our policies but is still harmful to an individual or part of our community, we encourage the community to engage in respectful dialogue to help others learn about the impact of their words. The university will always value and protect both the right to be free from protected class discrimination and harassment and the right to express constitutionally protected ideas.

Please contact the university Equity Offices (Boulder/System, Denver | Anschutz and UCCS) to report identity-based discrimination or harassment and to be connected to support services. As one university community, I ask each of you to support your classmates and colleagues and to promote our values to ensure inclusive learning and working environments.

If you have questions, please contact:

  • Valerie Simons
    Vice President of Compliance and Equity Office of the President
    Phone: 303-860-4258
    Email: valerie.simons@cu.edu