What does it mean for students and staff?
In July, the University of Toronto published their Review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Final Report (2022). The report calls for changes to the current policy to help survivors and provide support within the University of Toronto’s campuses in a more comprehensive scope.
After conducting a total of 54 open and closed consultation sessions with over 700 responders, along with a guiding statement released by President Meric Gertler in October 2021 on “Recent Concerns Regarding Sexual Violence”, the report concluded on some action items which will dictate future changes to the university’s policies, though none on the prevention of sexual assualt on campus.
What are the new guidelines?
1. “Greater support system for survivors and advancements in the reporting system”
According to the University of Toronto’s current policy, the report intake process and the support system available for survivors are combined into one process. The two will now be separated to focus on survivor needs and complaints. New managing roles will be added to make the reporting process easier, prioritising both student and staff complaints.
2. “More transparent annual reporting to increase institutional accountability”
New data will be added to annual reporting to include: the number of reports and disclosures, the types of incidents, the category of the complainant (students, faculty, staff, etc.), related timeframes (including how long the reporting and investigation process took), and the training and education provided across the campuses.
3. “Revision of the Student’s Guide to the Policy on Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment”
The guide will be adjusted to be easy to follow and user-friendly, clearly addressing policies and outlining the reporting process. It will be publicised to reach a wider scope of students.
4. “Additional incentives for ongoing community-wide training”
Managers, deans, and other leading figures will be responsible for implementing training on the prevention of sexual violence and sexual harassment at least once a year. Consent training will be incorporated into Environment Health and Safety training.
5. “More publicity regarding the services available for survivors”
A marketing campaign will be created to publicise the large array of services available to students. The Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre website will be updated to be more user-friendly.
6. “More services available for survivors”
New counselling models will be explored at the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre and the University of Toronto Health and Wellness resources, in collaboration with community-based organizations.
7. “Explicitly address the power dynamics that come into play in higher education institutions”
The Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment will be updated to address power dynamics and the abuse of power in clearer terms. The Provostial Guideline on Conflict of Interest and Close Personal Relations and the Policy on Conflict will also be updated to incorporate the topic of power dynamics. A guideline to manage faculty-student supervisory relationships will be developed.
8. “Complainants will be approached with more transparency”
The current policy does not acknowledge difficulties complainants have with the reporting process. Without the policy formalising the sharing of information with complainants, survivors are not updated on the investigation outcomes. This change in the Policy will help make the process more transparent to complainants.
9. “Institutions will share information regarding the sexual misconduct of faculty members”
The Association of American Universities (AAU) has recommended that universities release information regarding sexual harassment cases prior to employment. The report suggests that the University of Toronto will be following the AAU’s recommendation.
The new policies show promise. The university seems to have shifted its attitudes towards transparency when it comes to institutional accountability. More is being addressed and shared with the public rather than being hidden for convenience. New services will be available for survivors and complainants, and services that were already in place will be updated to be more accessible. According to the report, a common complaint amongst the surveyed individuals was the lengthy investigation process. No changes have been made to ease and shorten the process. The report also fails to mention new policies regarding the prevention of sexual assault on campus.
