The Office of Ethnic and Religious Interests (Title VI), one year in
From resolving discrimination concerns to launching a new nondiscrimination and anti-harassment training module, the Title VI-supporting office marks a year of progress.
3 min. read
Key Takeaways
The Office of Ethnic and Religious Interests (Title VI) (OREI) was created to support Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It specifically addresses the ethnicity and religious identity components of Title VI.
A new Report and Support page clearly identifies for Penn students, faculty, and staff what resources are appropriate for reporting, mediation, or support.
In collaboration with campus partners, the office developed a new training module that was issued to first-year undergraduates in August. Faculty and staff will receive a different version of that training in the spring.
The role of the Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests (Title VI) (OREI) is to provide a fact-finding and consultative process for allegations of discrimination based on national origin, including shared ancestry and religion, and when necessary, to conduct investigations. OREI’s cornerstones also include education, mediation, and evaluation.
The ‘power of dialogue in action’
Since launch, the team has met with various students, faculty, and staff to resolve conflict with the assistance of Restorative Practices @ Penn, among other partners on campus.
"We’ve really seen the power of dialogue in action,” says Sarah Estey, OREI case manager. “Seeing people at Penn, across the board, not just being willing but wanting to engage in difficult conversations, wanting to learn from people they initially might think they disagree with and seeing other perspectives and coming to a conclusion together, I think every day in our office we’ve seen how powerful dialogue can be. That gives us a lot of hope and excitement for what this community can be.”
Penn community members are also using the office proactively. Majid Alsayegh, co-director of OREI, says faculty have sought feedback on ways to thoughtfully present subject matter that has potential to be contentious.
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“Our door is open for that sort of consultation,” says Alsayegh. “If a faculty member is going to be talking about something fairly sensitive, we can help answer questions about how they might do that in a manner that stimulates dialogue rather than creates tensions.”
They’ve also continued to bring guests to campus to model dialogue across differences. In the fall, OREI welcomed an ensemble of the Galilee Orchestra by partnering with Polyphony, a nonprofit that bridges the divide between Arab and Jewish communities in Israel through music. The founder of the orchestra spoke to attendees about how music helps individuals practice dialogue. The takeaway: The ability of a musician to harmonize with other musicians is possible only by learning to listen deeply to multiple players at once.
Additionally, OREI led the creation of the one-stop Report and Support page, where Penn community members can find the appropriate office at Penn for reporting, mediation, or support. This provides a central source of campus resources for people that aid the University in responding to concerns and complaints of discrimination and harassment.
"We’ve taken on an ambitious charge: to navigate these challenging times and to resolve complex issues and prevent them through education,” says co-director Steve Ginsburg. “We will only succeed if we engage in this work respecting each and every member of the the Penn community. That work is ongoing, but we’re heartened to see progress.”
Training module
In January, OREI launched and shared a new nondiscrimination and anti-harassment training module that is tailored for students, faculty, and staff. It is viewable for faculty and staff through Workday, and for students through Canvas. OREI is also working with Penn Medicine leadership to prepare training that is tailored to the clinical setting.
"We focused on making sure the video covered Penn’s policies and making sure people know their rights at Penn, and that they understand the University will protect academic freedom and take action to prevent discrimination,” says Ginsburg. “While it is not an anti-bias training, the module offers examples of behavior that could create a hostile environment and require an investigation.”
The training module launched with incoming first-years in August 2025, who engaged with the module during New Student Orientation as part of Thrive at Penn. It has also been—and will continue to be—shared through individual graduate student orientations.
“Everyone at Penn deserves to feel safe, valued, and supported,” says Michael Weisberg, who was appointed to lead continued implementation of recommendations. “OREI reinforces our commitment to a campus where differences are resolved respectfully, where any individual can find community, and where meaningful dialogue thrives as a core tenet of a Penn experience. I’m grateful to the OREI team for all their ongoing work and outreach.”
Ginsburg says that, while the team knew they would encounter challenges, the willingness of others to share their lived experiences and move through difficult moments has “exceeded expectations.”
OREI will host a series of open houses in the spring to answer any questions about the Title VI training modules and the work of the office.
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