New UBC president commends ‘thoughtful’ sex-assault report
Posted September 12, 2016 10:30 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER(NEWS 1130) – UBC’s new president says he commends an expert panel for its thoughtful, comprehensive report on the school’s approach to sexual assaults.
Santa Ono released the report to the campus community on Monday, months after the UBC-appointed panel submitted it to the president’s office.
The report calls for the university to undertake major changes to counter the perception on campus that UBC has downplayed the severity of the issue and avoided responsibility.
It makes dozens of recommendations aimed at improving institutional accountability, education, prevention and an approach that focuses on the experiences of those who’ve been sexually assaulted when it comes to reports and disclosures.
It also calls for new disciplinary processes for students and faculty accused of sexual assault, standardized timelines for responding to complaints and a centralized office to co-ordinate response.
The six-member panel spoke with about 50 people and received emails from 40 others about the university’s handling of sexual assaults. It heard from many people that UBC had failed to demonstrate accountability, resulting in some students feeling they had no choice but to go to the media.
Some panel members questioned last week why the report had not been published, but a UBC spokeswoman said it would have been ineffective to release it in the summer when students and faculty were away.
Ono says in a statement that the report will help inform dialogue and spark further engagement on campus as public consultations on a draft sexual assault policy continue until the end of October.
He says he has also struck a working group to make recommendations to the UBC executive on the processes, infrastructure and resources to best serve its community and support survivors.
