University of Wisconsin officials vehemently denied accusations Wednesday that they were trying to hide a recent hate crime on campus.

“We work very hard to improve climate on the campus and make it welcoming,” UW provost Peter Spear said.

Witte dorm residents said they were shocked and saddened when housefellow Dan Steinbring was the victim of written and verbal racial slurs.

Student leaders expressed anger Tuesday that the university did not do more to address the crime.

However, Spear said the issue is important to the university and that steps, such as dorm forums, are being taken to prevent another such incident.

“One important message is that it’s too easy to say it’s an isolated event,” Spear said. “It’s clear it’s not isolated, and we need to do something to raise awareness about the problem.”

University Police Sgt. Pete Ystmes said no new leads have been made in the case, but investigators and dorm assistants are working jointly to catch the perpetrator.

Suzanne Jones, assistant dean of the dean of students office, said she encourages more students to report harassment by going to the dean of students office or reporting it to the Speak Up Program. The program allows for students to report harassment via written records at locations throughout campus.

Speak Up locations exist in the Multicultural Student Center, the Campus Women’s Center, the International Students Office and University Health Services, along with several different education buildings.

“I encourage students to report any type of harassment because we have got to get the behavior to stop,” Jones said.

She speculated that students are not always satisfied when they do report hate crimes.

“I think one of the reasons students are hesitant to report is that in some cases the student has an expectation that something will happen, and it doesn’t,” she said.

Jones outlined the dean of students office policy for students caught initiating racial harassment. She said if the perpetrator inflicts physical harm on the victim, he or she is expelled. If the harassment is strictly verbal, the student is reprimanded but not suspended or expelled.

“Based on policy, we can’t do something more drastic, or something that seems more satisfying,” Jones said. “I think sometimes people get frustrated.”

Spear said the crime is unacceptable.

“Our view is that this kind of behavior is just not tolerable,” he said.