The president of George Mason University declared the school's commitment to inclusion on Friday after a racially offensive image was found Thursday night in a residence hall.
"Racism has no place at George Mason University," Ángel Cabrera, president of the Fairfax, Virginia, school said.
Someone drew what appeared to be an ape dead in a noose, students told News4 and posts to social media show.
The discovery of the drawing follows a threat posted online this week against the Howard University campus, and protests at the University of Missouri after students objected to the school's response to racial slurs and other incidents.
The drawing found at George Mason University fits in the pattern of race-related incidents occurring across the country, Cabrera said.
"The image was demeaning, dehumanizing, and unfit for our community," he said. "It is everyone’s responsibility to create and sustain an environment that affirms and supports every member of this community so that we can thrive together."
The creation of the drawing is under investigation.