Message from the President Regarding Harassment Complaint
Dear members of the OCAD U community,
OCAD University has a fundamental commitment to equity and diversity. Our top priority is to create a learning environment where students feel safe and supported. We take any kind of harassment on or off campus very seriously and follow up on every complaint that is brought forward.
Recently a student here at OCAD U raised concerns through social media that our processes for investigating complaints weren’t inclusive and didn’t meet that student’s needs.
Details of such complaints are handled confidentially, as required by the law, and so that future complainants know they can bring concerns forward in a safe and respectful environment. However, OCAD U is concerned about the way this case is being presented. Although we are limited in what we can say, we can confirm that we followed all our protocols and processes and we were respectful of the student’s wishes not to proceed with an investigation.
We take this student’s feedback in earnest, as it is always our intention to create an environment where anyone feels comfortable to come forward. It is for that reason we want to take a closer look at our processes and protocols to see where we could do better.
OCAD U is holding a community drop-in for students, faculty and staff on Friday, May 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. in OCAD U’s Health & Wellness Centre (6th floor, 230 Richmond St. W.). We encourage anyone who wishes to discuss our policies and protocols in response to complaints of harassment to attend. Please RSVP to emach@ocadu.ca.
As an academic institution, we not only support the learning of our students — we too are always learning. Our goal is to foster an environment of openness, transparency and inclusivity, and as an organization that is always learning, we are committed to translating our what we learn into improvements in our policies, protocols and procedures.
Again, our goal, always, is to foster a learning environment where all students can thrive.
Any member of the community with questions related to these policies and procedures is encouraged to contact Deanne Fisher, Vice-Provost, Students & International at dfisher@ocadu.ca.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sara Diamond, OOnt, RCA
President & Vice-Chancellor, OCAD University
Update – Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Reflecting our commitment to ensuring an environment where everyone feels comfortable to come forward with safety and well-being concerns, OCAD University continues to take a closer look at our policies and procedures to see where we could do better.
We are currently engaging with members of the university community to better understand their experiences. We held a community drop-in for students, faculty and staff and on Friday May 10 and then extended to Tuesday, May 14 for those who we couldn’t accommodate on the 10th, in order to ensure community members have several opportunities to share their experiences and feedback.
Further, as an academic institution, as we support the learning of our students, we too are always learning. Last week, OCAD University engaged Marisha Roman to lead an independent, third-party review of the University’s response to the complaint and all relevant University policies (including the Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policy, the Response to Violence and Threatening Behavior Policy and the Student Non-Academic Misconduct Policy). The review will identify any deficiencies and include recommendations.
Ms. Roman is particularly suited to leading this review, having more than 20 years of experience in investigations in post-secondary settings.
We are mindful of our responsibility to foster a safe learning environment for all students. It is through consultation with the OCAD community and engaging an independent, third-party review that we wish to ensure our processes for handling complaints are effective and inclusive for everyone.