Two-Spirit Awareness Event – with special guest Tomson Highway

All members of the University community are encouraged to provide their comments on proposed Policy #131 (Sexual Assault).

Please submit feedback to either the Office of the University Counsel at university.counsel@ubc.ca or through confidential feedback survey by October 31, 2016.

Read more:

• UBC Sexual Assault Panel report – Sexual Assault at the University of British Columbia: Prevention, Response, and Accountability
• Information and updates on the Sexual Assault Policy development and action plan: http://equity.ubc.ca/sexual-assault-policy-development/

This notice was send via broadcast email to UBC staff, faculty and staff on June 21, 2016

As a follow-up to my message on June 7, the Board of Governors has referred Policy #131 (Sexual Assault) http://universitycounsel.ubc.ca/files/2016/06/Proposed-Policy-131.pdf for consultation: all members of the university community are encouraged to provide their comments.

Please submit feedback to either the Office of the University Counsel at university.counsel@ubc.ca or through the confidential feedback survey: https://survey.ubc.ca/s/sexual-assault-policy/ by September 30, 2016.

The proposed Policy is an important first step in improving UBC’s response to sexual assault. It outlines the key values and principles to which UBC will be held accountable and upon which all future work will be based. It also provides a single source of information on the supports, resources and reporting options currently available at UBC.

In particular, it provides clear direction and a more consistent approach to help students, staff and faculty get the help and support they need if they have been sexually assaulted or if someone discloses a sexual assault to them. It also clarifies which UBC processes apply when a report of sexual assault is made against a member of the UBC community. The proposed Policy is one element of UBC’s multi-faceted approach to addressing sexual assault; an approach that also includes education and awareness programs, focusing on intervention and prevention.

The consultation process runs until September 30, 2016. The Co-Chairs of the Policy Development Committee will hold two public information sessions in September, one on the Vancouver campus and one on the Okanagan campus. They will also be meeting with key stakeholders such as employee and student unions and associations on both campuses throughout the consultation period. The university community is encouraged to participate in these sessions however the Committee is only able to consider written feedback delivered via email or through the confidential feedback survey form mentioned earlier.

The collective aim of the proposed Policy and ongoing sexual assault response and education is to foster a safe and respectful environment at UBC and a supportive environment on campus for survivors. As we work to improve our policies and processes, I want to remind you about the resources available on campus and in the community should you need assistance for yourself or for someone you know.

For Vancouver students: http://students.ubc.ca/livewell/topics/sexual-assault-support-student-survivors
Okanagan students: http://students.ok.ubc.ca/sexual-assault.html
Faculty and staff: http://www.hr.ubc.ca/health/safety/sexual-assault-resources/

Sara-Jane Finlay
Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion

UBC Equity Enhancement Fund awarded for diverse projects

UBC’s 2016 Equity Enhancement Fund has been awarded with a total of twenty groups receiving funding. At UBC Okanagan, five groups were awarded a total of $15,000 while at UBC Vancouver 15 groups received a total of $70,000 for new initiatives. Interest in the fund was high and the Equity and Inclusion office received seven proposals from UBC Okanagan and 39 from UBC Vancouver.

“Awarding the Equity Enhancement Funds is one of the annual highlights for our office.  We are pleased at the diversity of the submissions and groups applying for funding. There were applications that showcased partnerships across departments and with community groups, as well as from individual faculty members, staff and students” says Sara-Jane “Thank you to all those who assisted in determining the awards.“

Adjudication committees on both campuses met earlier in the month to choose projects that were closely aligned with the University’s commitment and responsibilities to enhance equity, diversity, inclusion and intercultural understanding at UBC.

Read about all of the 2016 Equity Enhancement Fund recipients.

2016 recipients for UBC Okanagan

Food Insecurity
Recipients: Casey Hamilton, Campus Health Specialist and Liz Hilliard, Campus Life

Food insecurity at UBC Okanagan is not well understood. This project aims to change this by researching food insecurity on campus, as well as through hosting ‘Breaking Bread’ dialogue dinners, and other programs and events. Relationships will be built with existing community food security programs to connect students to them and to further develop student leadership opportunities.

Indigenous Tattooing School
Recipients: Dion Kaszas, student in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

The intent of this project is to help revive Indigenous tattooing traditions in North America by providing training to Indigenous fine artists. The training will focus on tattoo revival, ancestral tattooing tradition, cultural protocols, tattoo design, blood borne pathogens, and more.

UBC Okanagan Human Library and Panel 2017
Recipients: Laura Thorne and Barbara Sobol, UBC Okanagan Library and Jaclyn Salter, Student and Student Library Advisory Council member

The 2017 Human Library event at UBC Okanagan will position various community members as “books” representing diverse backgrounds, opinions, and perspectives and allow the campus community to interact with them as “readers.” The aim is to challenge stereotypes and prejudices while further developing an understanding and appreciation of diversity.

Women’s Resource Centre Education Resources
Recipients: Siona Koker and the UBC Students’ Union Okanagan Women’s Resource Centre

This initiative will further develop the Tea Talks project, which hosts ongoing seminar workshops which address a range of topics from body shaming to sexism, violence against Indigenous women to conversations around racism and hair.

Told But Unheard Stories: Raising Awareness About Racism through Documentary Animation
Recipients: Students from the faculties of Arts, Sciences and School of Nursing, partnered with Okanagan Korean Culture & Knowledge Society

Through a series of short story animations for a documentary, this project will increase awareness and create dialogue about racism in the Okanagan. The group will collect stories of racism through interviews and animate them, allowing audiences to hear interviewees share their stories while an animation unfolds.