PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville community is responding to three different incidents in two residential halls that have targeted a group of minorities because of their race.

UW Platteville has more than 7,000 students this year, 344 of which are of color.

UW Platteville student Vanessa Martinez, who heads up the Student Organization of Latinos, said it's hard for her to understand why a crime she's seen on campus before is apparently back.

"A lot of people don't ever really ever interact with Latinos," Martinez said. "Our goal is to educate our campus. It's just frustrating to see as much ignorance on a university campus."

The university said the first incident of racial vandalism happened on Oct. 26 at Porter Residential Hall. The N-word was written on a wall in the basement's TV room.

"I did send out a letter to all campus, students, faculty and staff after the first incident," said Chancellor Carol Sue Butts.

But one day after Butts' letter, another report of racial vandalism was discovered on a bathroom wall at Melcher Hall.

Then on Nov. 7, a third incident was reported; the N-word was scratched into the inside of a bathroom stall door. Housing workers immediately sanded down and repainted the door.

"It was etched in by some kind of material. A pen or something sharp," said Rhonda Viney, director of housing. "We erased it but we don't erase the fact that it happened."

What angers and frustrated Butts the most is that she sent a letter to students and staff after each incident, hoping to stop the vandalism.

"That's enough. I am not sending out any more letters. We are doing action and I've been meeting with a variety of groups on campus and attacking this from a variety of different areas," Butts said.

For Black Student Union member Joe Carter the new wave of racial slurs reinforces the need for change.

"A lot of anger and frustration is going through my mind right now because we are the minorities on campus and we get disrespected everyday," said Carter.

It's a feeling Martinez understands all too well, but she believes change is possible.

"It's kind of frustrating but I think everyone kind of takes it in stride and the administration does a good job of trying to address the issues," Martinez said.

"This is not who UW Platteville is and we will not accept it," said the chancellor.

The school is urging students and everyone on campus to be vigilant and to call university police or any of the student offices on campus with tips to locate the person or persons responsible, who could be charged with a hate crime.

The university is talking with minority student groups and is coming up with a strategy. In the meantime, the chancellor is encouraging faculty and staff to spend some class time discussing what happened.