UBC is undertaking several coordinated strategies to improve policies and practices that address sexual assault and sexual harassment in our community. Read below for updates on the UBC sexual assault policy and process development.
UBC Sexual Assault Policy
- Facilitation guide to assist with discussions on proposed Policy #131
- June 16, 2016: Information on Sexual Assault Policy Consultation
- Read proposed Policy #131 (Sexual Assault)
- Sexual Assault Policy Update
- BC Government: Bill 23 – 2016: Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act
Resources
The collective aim of the strategies detailed below are to foster a safe and respectful environment at UBC and a supportive environment on campus for survivors. Resources are available on campus and in the community should you need assistance for yourself or for someone you know.
Sexual Assault Response and Education
- Sexual Assault Response and Support Protocol
- Sexual Assault Intervention and Prevention Education Plan
- Statement re: Paula Butler Report
UBC Sexual Assault Policy Consultation
The UBC community is invited to comment on proposed Policy #131 (Sexual Assault). To read more about the Policy Consultation information, please click here.
The proposed Policy is an important first step in improving the UBC’s response to sexual assault. It outlines the key values and principles to which UBC will be held accountable and upon which all future work will be based. It also provides a single source of information on the supports, resources and reporting options currently available at UBC.
In particular, it provides clear direction and a more coordinated approach to help students, staff and faculty get the help and support they need if they have been sexually assaulted or if someone discloses a sexual assault to them. It also clarifies which UBC processes apply when a report of sexual assault is made against a member of the UBC community.
The proposed Policy is one element of UBC’s multi-faceted approach to addressing sexual assault. That approach also includes education and awareness programs, focusing on intervention and prevention.
The proposed Policy is now published online and all members of the University community are encouraged to provide their comments. Please submit feedback to either the Office of the University Counsel at university.counsel@ubc.ca or through this confidential feedback survey by September 30, 2016.
University Sexual Assault Panel
The President has appointed the University Sexual Assault Panel to lay the groundwork for a UBC-wide sexual assault action plan. The volunteer panel, chaired by Professor Janine Benedet of the Allard School of Law, is working independent of university administration to outline action items in relation to prevention, response, institutional accountability and the overall UBC climate around sexual violence.
Membership:
Janine Benedet (Chair): Professor, Co-Director, Centre for Feminist Legal Studies, Allard School of Law
Shauna Butterwick: Professor, Educational Studies, Faculty of Education
Scott Anderson: Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department, Faculty of Arts
Sarah Hunt: Assistant Professor, First Nations and Indigenous Studies Program (FNIS), Faculty of Arts
Lucia Lorenzi: Graduate student, Department of English, Faculty of Arts
Panel support by Declan Harrison: Research Assistant
Sexual Assault Policy Development
A Sexual Assault Policy Committee has developed a new sexual assault policy for the university. Led by Kimberley Beck, Legal Counsel from the Office of the University Counsel and Sara-Jane Finlay, Associate Vice President, Equity and Inclusion, the committee includes eleven members from both campuses.
Membership:
Kimberley Beck (co–chair): Legal Counsel, Office of the University Counsel, UBC Vancouver
Sara-Jane Finlay (co–chair): Associate Vice president, Equity and Inclusion, UBC Vancouver
Shannon Dunn: Director, Business Operations, AVP Finance and Operations, UBC Okanagan
Tobias Friedel: President, Graduate Students Society, UBC Vancouver
Susan Frohlick: Professor, Head of Community, Culture and Global Studies Unit, Irving K Barber School of Arts and Sciences, UBC Okanagan
Isabel Grant: Professor, Allard School of Law, UBC Vancouver
Daniel Heath Justice: Professor, Department of English, Chair of the First Nations Studies Program, UBC Vancouver
Patricia Mirwaldt: Director, UBC Student Health Services, UBC Vancouver
Linda McKnight: Director, HR Advisory Services, Human Resources – UBC Vancouver
Jenna Omassi: Vice President Academic & University Affairs, Alma Mater Society, UBC Vancouver
Janice Robinson: Director, Residence Life, Student Housing and Hospitality Services – UBC Vancouver
Kimberly Rutledge: UBC Students’ Union Okanagan (UBCSUO), UBC Okanagan
Sexual Assault: Discourse & Dialogue 2016 consultation event
The faculty-led Sexual Assault: Discourse & Dialogue 2016 was held on February 15 and 16, 2016. It provided an opportunity for faculty, graduate students and staff to consider various issues raised by sexual assault and sexual assault policy in the university context.
Sexual Assault Response and Support Protocol
The Sexual Assault Response and Support Protocol reflects current UBC practices regarding sexual harassment and sexual assault. It is a helpful resource for any member of our community looking to better understand the issue, respond to and support a survivor, and contribute to change. Find the Protocol online.
Sexual Assault Intervention and Prevention Education Plan
A campus-wide Sexual Assault Intervention and Prevention Education Plan is under way which will be informed by consultation with the UBC community in February and March 2016. Learn more.
Action Plan on Sexual Assault and Harassment
The university is undertaking the design of a broad and robust Action Plan and coordinating committee that will help to: 1) shape a campus culture which fosters a respectful environment, and 2) specifically improve policy and practice to address sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Plans are to have the Sexual Assault Policy ready for Board Approval in the early fall. The Action Plan on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment will be developed iteratively over the next short while, following guidance from the University Panel, the Sexual Assault Policy committee, and the broader university community.