After months of consultation, feedback, and review, the UVic Board of Governors voted to approve a finalized Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Policy on March 28. The policy will now be implemented this coming May.
“The creation of this single, encompassing policy to prevent and respond to sexualized violence on campus is an extremely important initiative for the University of Victoria,” said UVic President Jamie Cassels in a news release. “We want to be very clear that sexualized violence is unacceptable on our campus and our goal is to create and foster a safe, supportive and respectful environment for all of our students, faculty and staff.”
The policy was drafted following the establishment of a sexualized violence working group in May 2016 and ensures that UVic meets requirements of B.C. legislation introduced last year requiring all post-secondary institutions in the province to have a specific policy around sexualized violence by May 19, 2017.
At the March 28 board meeting, Dr. Annalee Lepp, chair of both the working group and the Gender Studies department, said the policy “sets a strong foundation” for the university to address the issue of sexualized violence.
One of the policy’s main tenets mandates the creation of an Intake Office to oversee sexualized violence support and education. UVic has already posted a job opening for a Sexualized Violence Co-ordinator, one of the policy’s other key suggestions.
For more information regarding the specific policy, visit martlet.ca/three-things-you-should-know-about-uvics-draft-sexualized-violence-policy.
