Sexual misconduct: focus on policies
A Concordia University task force set up in the wake of highly publicized complaints of chronic sexual misconduct by certain professors in the university’s creative writing program has issued dozens of recommendations to try to ensure that such a toxic environment is not allowed to fester on campus in the future.
“I truly believe that this is an integral step in our continuous goal to foster an educational and working environment free from any form of sexual misconduct or sexual violence,” said Concordia University president Alan Shepard in a statement released Tuesday.
Shepard announced the creation of the task force in January, after an essay was published online describing inappropriate conduct by several professors in the creative writing unit of the English department.
That essay touched off a storm of online accounts by students and alumni of misconduct and sexual impropriety in that department.
Concordia responded by launching an external investigation into the climate of the English department by former Quebec Court of Appeal Judge Pierrette Rayle (which is ongoing), issuing guidelines discouraging instructors from becoming romantically or sexually involved with students, and launching a task force to get feedback and make recommendations to improve on Concordia’s policies and procedures.
The task force issued a 19-page report Tuesday. Recommendations are mainly focused on improving awareness among students, faculty and employees of the university’s existing policies, procedures and resources.
The task force recommends the university create a dedicated web hub with information on sexual misconduct and sexual violence, including a clear, step-by-step guide for those wishing to file complaints or disclose improper behaviour. It also recommends the university re-examine all services that handle sexual violence complaints and ensure they are properly staffed.
All members of the Concordia community should benefit from mandatory basic training on what sexual violence and misconduct is, how to file a sexual violence complaint, how to get support on campus and how to help a student who discloses a case of sexual misconduct or violence, the report recommends.
“We have a lot of things in place at the university to support people who have experienced sexual violence, but there is a big gap in terms of what the community knows and understands,” said Concordia deputy provost Lisa Ostiguy, who chaired the task force.
“The take-away for me is that we have some work to do in terms of training, education and communicating our processes and making things much more clear to the members of the community. When people don’t understand our processes or people have a misperception of what happens when they come forward with a complaint or how complaints are treated, I think it builds a mistrust and it makes people reluctant to come forward.”
The task force report calls special attention to the issue of consensual intimate relationships between faculty members and students.
“Although the university cannot legally forbid consensual sexual or intimate relationships between faculty and adult students, the task force recommends that the university reiterate strongly to faculty and staff that such relationships are strongly discouraged,” the report notes.
Initial reaction from student groups was positive, but there was concern that the task force recommendations do not go far enough to move Concordia toward a stronger, stand-alone policy on sexual violence.
Sophie Hough-Martin, general co-ordinator of the Concordia Student Union, points to the fact that the survey done by the task force revealed major shortcomings in how students’ complaints are handled.
Some reported nothing was done, there was no follow-up and they did not feel supported.
“Those are massive issues within the system, so you can point people to the system, but if you report (a complaint) and if there is nothing done or you are told that the existing policies can’t do anything for you, then that doesn’t address the issue.”
“We commend the fact that Concordia is looking at creating a standing committee and mandatory training, (but) we are apprehensive about the fact that Concordia is focusing on the lack of communication of existing antisexual violence resources and policies,” said Connor Spencer, director of mobilization for Our Turn, a national student-led organization working to end campus sexual violence.
That organization issued a report last year grading universities across Canada on their sexual violence policies and Concordia scored the lowest (52 per cent), mainly because it did not have a truly stand-alone policy on sexual violence.
“Before better communicating the existence of policies and resources, Concordia must make sure that they are the best they can be and that they will properly support folks who come forward.”
The take-away for me is that we have some work to do in terms of training, education and communicating our processes.
LISA OSTIGUY, Concordia deputy provost