From: Trevor Young, Vice-President & Provost
Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture
Date: January 15, 2025
Re: Launch of the Review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (PDAD&C #19)
The University is launching a review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (Policy). The Policy is reviewed every three years, with the last review occurring in 2022. This review will take place throughout 2025, with opportunities for community consultations during the winter term.
The University’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment came into effect on January 1, 2017 and applies to all students, staff, faculty members, and librarians. The Policy outlines the University’s response to incidents of sexual violence involving members of the University community, as well as supports for those who have been subjected to sexual violence.
The Policy is an important component of the University’s commitment that all members of the University community should have the ability to study, work, and live in a campus environment free from sexual violence, including sexual harassment.
Additionally, the Policy is aligned with the requirements for sexual violence policies at publicly assisted colleges and universities as set out by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities through Ontario regulation 131/16.
Section VIII of the Policy states that “the University will conduct a review of this policy every three years that will include members of the University community, including students, staff and faculty, and will amend the Policy as appropriate.” The focus of the 2025 review will be to assess the impact of the changes to the Policy and related processes that were made in response to the 2022 review recommendations, and to identify any further opportunities to improve the Policy.
We are pleased to announce that Professor Faye Mishna will lead the consultations and review of the Policy. Professor Mishna brings a wealth of expertise to this role, having served as Dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work from 2009 to 2019. She is currently a professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and holds a cross-appointment to the Department of Psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Her research focuses on bullying/cyber bullying and sexting among youth, and cyber counselling. Professor Mishna’s expertise and leadership experience will be invaluable in guiding this important process.
Professor Mishna will receive project management support from several staff members including Angela Treglia, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Strategy, Prevention & Support, and Alexis Archbold, Executive Director, Strategy, Programs & Operations, Office of the Vice-Provost Students.
In addition to Professor Mishna, we have retained an external expert, Gillian Hnatiw, to provide an independent review of the Policy. A Toronto-based lawyer, Ms. Hnatiw is one of Canada’s leading legal experts in gender-based violence and frequently takes on cases involving sexual assault, abuse, harassment, family violence, voyeurism and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. In addition, she is an expert in administrative and public law, professional liability, health law, employment law, and general commercial litigation. Ms. Hnatiw will review the Policy from an administrative law perspective and assess whether there are aspects of the Policy that we should consider improving, updating, or changing. It is the University’s expectation that Ms. Hnatiw will conduct her review with a trauma-informed perspective and an awareness of the unique context of post-secondary institutions. Feedback from the University’s consultations will also be shared with Ms. Hnatiw for her awareness and consideration.
We invite all members of our community to share their feedback. To that end, we are committed to a trauma-informed consultation and review process. There are various opportunities and ways to take part (e.g. private and group sessions, online and in person sessions, an anonymous online form, etc.) and appropriate support will be available for those who need it. The review process will include transparency into how information will be recorded and shared.
Community consultations will take place between January and March. During this time, Professor Mishna and the project team will be reaching out to stakeholder groups for feedback. Students, staff, faculty members, and librarians will also have an opportunity to attend open online and in-person consultation sessions and provide input through an anonymous online form.
Details on the various consultation opportunities can be found here: uoft.me/SVSHReview2025
After the consultation period closes in March 2025, summaries of the consultation feedback and the external expert’s input will be shared with governance in late spring.