UBC says $250K pledged for anti-rape counselling, education

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – School staff are holding all 81 commerce undergraduate society and FROSH leader responsible, and the school will re-design welcome back week activities.

The University of British Columbia says the society at the centre of a pro-rape chant has pledged to contribute $250,000 for sexual abuse counselling and education for students.

The University’s decision is based on the report of its fact-finding panel, indicating there is no evidence Commerce Undergraduate Society FROSH event leaders planned and directed others to use the rape chant.

The report concluded that this and other offensive chants were a CUS oral tradition, no CUS leader intervened to stop anyone from using the chants, and the vast majority of first-year students attending the events would have been exposed to the rape chant. The report also concludes that some activities were inappropriately sexualized.

“After serious consideration, we believe it is essential that the C.U.S. and all FROSH leaders make tangible amends,” said UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Stephen Toope. “At the same time, the whole UBC community needs to embark upon deeper, transformative and lasting change that would make such chants entirely and obviously unacceptable in our community.”

Sauder School of Business Dean Robert Helsley says he’s embarrassed. “It’s completely inconsistent with our values as an institution and it’s also completely inconsistent with what I know about our student body.”

The university released a report Wednesday about the incident during orientation week, saying student leaders of the Commerce Undergraduate Society will be held accountable because they did nothing to stop the offensive chants heard by most first-year business students.

University president Stephen Toope says the entire UBC community must embark on complete and lasting change that will make such chants unacceptable.

He has appointed the vice-president of students to lead a task force to come up with broader measures to address the deeper problem.

Four student leaders of the undergrad society quit last week, and the university says there’s no evidence to suggest any of the leaders planned and directed students to use the rape chant, which it calls an oral tradition.

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