Background
The University is launching a review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (Policy). The Policy is reviewed every three years, with the last review occurring in 2022. This review will take place throughout 2025 with opportunities for community consultations during the winter term.
The University’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff, faculty members, and librarians. The Policy outlines the University’s response to incidents of sexual violence involving members of the University community, as well as supports for those who have been subjected to sexual violence.
The Policy is an important component of the University’s commitment that all members of the University community should have the ability to study, work, and live in a campus environment free from sexual violence, including sexual harassment.
The focus of the 2025 review is to assess the impact of the changes to the Policy and related processes that were made in response to the 2022 review recommendations, and to identify any further opportunities to improve the Policy.
Review Lead and Project Team
The University has appointed Professor Faye Mishna to lead the consultations and review of the Policy. Professor Mishna brings a wealth of expertise to this role, having served as Dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work from 2009 to 2019. She is currently a professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and holds a cross-appointment to the Department of Psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and she was recently named the Ombudsperson-designate, with her term starting in July 2025. Her research focuses on bullying/cyber bullying and sexting among youth, and cyber counselling. Professor Mishna’s expertise and leadership experience will be invaluable in guiding this important process.
Professor Mishna will receive project management support from several staff members including Angela Treglia, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Strategy, Prevention & Support, and Alexis Archbold, Executive Director, Strategy, Programs & Operations, Office of the Vice-Provost Students.
External Expert
The University has retained an external expert, Gillian Hnatiw, to provide an independent review of the Policy. A Toronto-based lawyer, Ms. Hnatiw is one of Canada’s leading legal experts in gender-based violence and frequently takes on cases involving sexual assault, abuse, harassment, family violence, voyeurism and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. She is also one of the program Chairs for York University’s Osgoode Intensive Guide to Responding to Campus Sexual Violence. In addition, she is an expert in administrative and public law, professional liability, health law, employment law, and general commercial litigation. Ms. Hnatiw will review the Policy from an administrative law perspective and assess whether there are aspects of the Policy that we should consider improving, updating, or changing. It is the University’s expectation that Ms. Hnatiw will conduct her review with a trauma-informed perspective and an awareness of the unique context of post-secondary institutions. Feedback from the University’s consultations will also be shared with Ms. Hnatiw for her awareness and consideration.
Consultation Process
The University invites members of the U of T community to review the Policy and share their feedback through one or more of the following in-person and online feedback opportunities, listed below.
We are committed to a trauma-informed consultation and review process. To that end, there are various ways to participate, including in-person and online consultations sessions and an anonymous online form, and appropriate support will be available for those who need it, including counsellors and private rooms during each session for any participant who requires support. The review process will include transparency into how information will be recorded and shared. The consultation period closes in March 2025, after which summaries of the consultation feedback and the external expert’s input will be shared with University governance in late spring. Please see below for information on confidentiality and privacy during the review process.
Sign Up
Opportunities to Provide Feedback
There are a variety of ways to provide feedback. U of T community members can:
- attend in-person and online sessions (registration required)
- submit an anonymous online form – Form closed March 28, 2025
In-person and online sessions
*NB: registration to participate in these sessions will close at 12 PM the day before the session.
Students
- In-Person UTM Student Session – 12:40pm – 1:30pm, February 24th – Registration Closed
- In-Person UTSG Student Session – 1:30pm – 2:20pm, February 25th – Registration Closed
- In-Person UTSC Student Session – 12:40pm – 1:30pm, February 28th – Registration Closed
- Online Tri-Campus Student Session – 1:05pm – 2:00pm, March 3rd – Registration Closed
Staff
- In-Person UTM Staff Session – 1:40pm – 2:30pm, February 24th – Registration Closed
- In-Person UTSG Staff Session – 2:30pm – 3:20pm, February 25th – Registration Closed
- In-Person UTSC Staff Session – 1:40pm – 2:30pm, February 28th – Registration Closed
- Online Tri-Campus Staff Session – 2:05pm – 3:00pm, March 3rd- Registration Closed
Faculty & Librarians
- In-Person UTM Faculty members and Librarians Session – 2:40pm – 3:30pm, February 24th – Registration Closed
- In-Person UTSG Faculty members and Librarians Session – 3:30pm – 4:20, February 25th – Registration Closed
- In-Person UTSC Faculty members and Librarians Session – 2:40pm – 3:30pm, February 28th – Registration Closed
- Online Tri-Campus Faculty members and Librarians Session – 3:05pm – 4:00pm, March 3rd – Registration Closed
Identity-based Sessions for Students, Faculty, and Staff
- Online Racialized Community Member Session – 1:05pm – 2:00pm, February 27th – Registration Closed
- Online 2SLGBTQ+ Community Member Session – 2:05pm – 3:00pm, February 27th – Registration Closed
- Online Persons with Disabilities Community Member Session – 3:05pm – 4:00pm, February 27th – Registration Closed
- Online Indigenous Community Member Session – 4:05pm – 5:00pm, February 27th – Registration Closed
Details of sessions
- On-campus in-person private sessions (individuals or small groups can book time slots). These private sessions are for an individual or a small group of U of T community members to meet with Professor Mishna and the review support team. Support will be available on site from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre and online and by phone through Telus Health.
- On-campus in-person open sessions for staff, students, and faculty members and librarians. These are open in-person sessions for anyone who wants to attend from their respective stakeholder group. Support will be available on site from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre and online and by phone through Telus Health.
- Tri-campus online group open sessions for tri-campus staff, students, faculty members and librarians. These are open online sessions for anyone who wants to attend from their respective stakeholder group. Supports will be available from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre and through Telus Health.
- Tri-campus online group sessions for University of Toronto community members who are racialized, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, and/or are persons with a disability. These are closed online sessions for any member of the U of T community from these respective identity groups. Supports will be available from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre and through Telus Health.
For full session details (date, time, etc.), and to register to attend an open session, please go to the open consultation booking form (Registration now closed). To register to attend a private consultation session, go to the private session booking site (Registration now closed).
Anonymous online form
All U of T community members can provide anonymous feedback through an online consultation form (form closed March 28, 2025).
To access the online consultation form, users are required to input their UTORid credentials. However, the form does not collect personal information and all submissions are confidential. Your UTORID is not linked to your submission. An obligation to disclose information in the circumstances listed above remains in place.
Email review team
In addition, U of T community members can provide feedback directly to project lead Professor Mishna and the consultation team at svshreview@utoronto.ca.
Facilitators
The following administrators listed will be facilitating the identity-based sessions.
For the 2SLGBTQ+ Community Member session:
Allison Burgess, Director, Sexual & Gender Diversity Office at U of T, has spent more than a decade developing partnerships, resources, and programs focused on 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion and belonging, including the annual U of T Pride Pub, Trans Day of Remembrance, International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, among others. She has championed process improvements and several educational initiatives that have fostered equity and inclusion across the University.
For the Persons with Disabilities Community Member session:
Reshma Dhrodia, the inaugural Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Director at the Faculty of Music, is a trauma-informed social worker and educator dedicated to enhancing EDI, wellness, and safety at individual, communal, and institutional levels. She supports the development of strategic policies, programs, and initiatives focused on education, community engagement, accessibility, and systems navigation and provides confidential consultation and advising on human rights concerns and mental health.
For the Racialized Community Member session:
Cherilyn Scobie Edwards is the Senior Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the University of Toronto Scarborough and holds a seat on the Core Executive Team. She holds much experience in Education and prior to this role she was a Secondary School Principal with the TDSB. She is deeply committed to creating systems, structures, and spaces centred on inclusion and belonging.
For the Indigenous Community Member session:
Professor Faye Mishna, Chair of the 2025 Review on the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment will facilitate, and Jessica Tabak, Special Projects Officer, Indigenous Research, Office of Indigenous Initiatives, will attend the session to provide support.
Confidentiality and Privacy During Consultations
At the start of all open in-person and online consultations, the facilitators will explain their confidentiality and privacy commitments and limits and answer any questions you may have about them. You can then make an informed decision around what information you choose to share with them.
Members of the project support team will be present to take notes on the feedback provided. These notes will not include any names unless explicit permission is given. The notes will be used solely to create a summary of the feedback for the University and will not be shared verbatim.
In general, members of the review team may be required to disclose information in certain specific situations, including the following instances:
- Information needs to be disclosed in order to address a risk to the health and safety of Members of the University Community.
- An individual is at risk of imminent and serious harm to themselves or others.
- Disclosure, report or investigation is required by law (for example, violence involving a minor, sexual violence by a regulated health professional, a subpoena, court order, obligations related to occupational health and safety or to human rights legislation or other legally effective requirement).
- Disclosure of a record is required to comply with disclosure obligations during the hearing process under the University’s Code of Student Conduct or an employment arbitration process.
Accessibility & Emotional Support
We strive to make our review process as accessible as possible and will provide accommodations for all students, faculty members, and staff as needed. We welcome support persons to accompany individuals. Upon request, further accessible formats and communication supports can be provided. If you have any special requests or require specific accessibility accommodations for your participation in any of the consultation opportunities, please let us know on your registration form or through e-mail at svshreview@utoronto.ca.
For anyone needing emotional support, additional resources can be found anytime at uoft.me/SeekSupport. Additionally, the University’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre offers confidential support to any member of the University community impacted by sexual violence, regardless of when, where, or by whom the incident occurred.
Available Supports During In-Person and Online Consultations
The University is committed to fostering safety and a trauma-informed process. Consultation participants will have dedicated supports available to them for both online and in-person sessions.
During our in-person consultation sessions there will be a support room with a supportive listener from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre available for attendees. During the on-line sessions, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre (SVPS Centre) will be on standby for telephone support and can be reached at 416-978-2266.
The University has also coordinated with U of T Telus Health Student Support and Telus Health provided through the Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) to provide further supports specific to this consultation. Their teams will prioritize consultation related calls to ensure seamless support for callers. Students can reach out to U of T Telus Health Student Support at 1-844-451-9700 and University employees can reach Telus Health at 1-855-597-2110.