Local postsecondary institutions respond to provincial government survey results

A Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities survey, entitled ‘Student Voices on Sexual Violence,’ released March 19, includes a Sexual Harassment Experience Index showing the percentage of survey respondents who said they’ve experienced one or more incidents of sexual harassment since the beginning of the academic year.

The survey shows 70.9 per cent of those who responded experienced sexual harassment at Algoma University, ranking third behind University of Western Ontario and Queen’s University.

55.7 per cent of those who responded said they experienced sexual harassment at Sault College, tied with St. Lawrence College and third behind Loyalist College and Canadore College.

The survey was completed by 26.5 per cent of university students and 16.3 per cent of college students.

“I think all universities in this province understand we have a lot of work to do in this area, as a province, and in society as a whole this is an issue that needs to be addressed, and we’re actually very happy to see a government that is addressing this issue and supporting the educational institutions across the province to be able to address the needs that are coming out of the survey,” said Asima Vezina, Algoma University president and vice-chancellor, speaking to SooToday.

Vezina noted “sexual harassment is broadly defined. It ranges from feeling threatened or uncomfortable right to significant, sexually violent incidents. The spectrum is quite wide on the definition of sexual harassment.”

“One of the things we’re really happy about in the survey is that we had very strong results in terms of students being aware of services on campus. We’ve been really proactive.”

“About a year and a half ago...our team here was taking sexual violence very seriously, they had a task force, they were working on policies, they were thinking about structures that would make it easier for students to report it, they did a lot of training in policy work. Since then we’ve actually created a management position that’s called manager of student success and well being which oversees this,” Vezina said.

New programs and services, lighting and security cameras are among measures Algoma has put in place to keep an eye on the problem of sexual harassment and violence.

“We have quite a few folks on campus people can talk to. We have security on campus 24 and 7, we have student residence advisors who are fully trained, and they are the first point of contact for students who live on campus...I would say all students know if they have an issue they can go to our Student Success central office and be guided to the right place.”

Vezina added the university has strong partnerships with police, mental health agencies and other local services who support victims of violence.

Academic penalties at Algoma for anyone proven to be guilty of sexual harassment vary, Vezina said.

“It really depends on the situation. I think the big thing here is we have to respond. If a student brings something forward, we must really listen and take it seriously, and with our student code of conduct we determine what our next steps would be in terms of investigation.”

“The one thing I think Algoma University is known for across this community, from what students and their parents have told me, is they believe Algoma is a safe, welcoming, friendly and inclusive campus,” Vezina said.

“I think a lot more needs to be done right across society,” Vezina emphasized.

“Sault College is fiercely committed to doing all that we can to prevent sexual violence...we will continue to work with our student leaders to ensure that sexual violence has no place on our campus,” stated Ron Common, Sault College president, in a written statement.

“We know that sexual violence is a societal problem that can occur on college campuses and it is one that we take seriously. The safety of our staff and students is of utmost importance and we remain focused on creating and maintaining a campus that is free from sexual violence or harassment.”

“Our college is focused on fostering a respectful college community, to providing an appropriate level of protection and taking all necessary steps to guard against violence and harassment. To complement this, in 2016, Sault College developed its Sexual Assault and Sexual Violence Policy and Protocol which has been supported by the implementation of a multi-pronged approach to prevention and support,” Common wrote.

“The feedback received from the survey is extremely valuable and we thank all of the students who chose to participate and share their perspective and experiences.”

“We acknowledge and appreciate that there is always room for improvement in this important area, and as such, analyzing the data is a top priority. It is through this analysis that we may better understand the experiences students have shared and ensure that those who experience it get the support they need and deserve,” Common wrote.

“It is also important to note that we encourage victims of sexual harassment and violence to come forward to the student services office and make arrangements to report to a counsellor,” added Rachel MacDonald, Sault College communications and human resources coordinator.