U of T is making progress in addressing the recommendations from the 2022 Review of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment.
Along with the Report on Activity under the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, 2023-24, that was presented to Governance in October 2024, the following is a progress snapshot of the improvements that U of T has either implemented, which means sustained action is in effect, expanded, meaning that additional resources have been added to complement the implemented actions, and actions that are underway means the recommendations are in the process of being implemented but are not finalized.
This information will be updated regularly to reflect when actions are fully completed.
| Recommendations | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|
| R1. Recommendation to create and fill Case Manager roles. | Two new positions, Case Managers, were created and filled in early 2024 and are part of both the Office of Safety and High-Risk and the Office of Sexual Violence Strategy, Prevention and Support. The Case Managers act as the primary University point of contact for both Complainants and Respondents regarding process and providing timely updates and consistent support to each throughout the process. The entry point to the reporting process remains within the Sexual Violence Prevention Support Centre, with the process itself being administered by the new Case Managers. This change helps clarify roles and ensures survivors are supported by the Centre, better focuses resources, and minimizes the number of times a Complainant needs to tell their story. | Implemented |
| R2. Recommendation to initiate robust annual institutional reporting in 2023-24 reporting year. | Two reports were recently presented at the University Affairs Board (UAB) – one in January 2024 (Cycle 3 for the 2023-25 academic year) and the other report was presented at UAB in October 2024 (Cycle 1 for 2024-25). Key highlights of both reports include current data on reports under the Policy and the Sexual Violence Prevention Support Centre’s activities and initiatives. Both reports are posted online at www.svpscentre.utoronto.ca/about-the-centre/annual-report/. | Implemented |
| R3. Recommendation to revise the Student’s Guide to the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment and create companion guides for faculty and librarians and staff. | Currently the revision for the Student’s Guide to the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment and companion guides for faculty and librarians and staff are being processed. | Underway |
| R4. Recommendation to expand training on sexual violence and sexual harassment across all campuses. | The SVPS Centre created the new role of Curriculum Development & Training Coordinator to support this recommendation and has seen an increase in training offerings year to year. See Annual Reports for more details. | Implemented and expanding |
| R5. Recommendation to enhance student-focused education program on healthy boundaries, communication, and consent practices within relationships. | The SVPS Centre released a new asynchronous module for students, “Building a Culture of Consent at the University of Toronto: Consent, Communication, and Sexual Violence Prevention Education.” The module teaches students about how to incorporate the concept of consent into building healthy boundaries, communication, and consent practices within relationships. It also teaches students about sexual violence, the landscape in which it occurs, and available on- and off-campus support services for those impacted by sexual violence. The module is required for all students living in residence, including those operated by federated colleges, with the exception of UTM Family/Graduate Housing, UTSG Family Housing and CampusOne. | Implemented and expanding |
| R6. Recommendation to continue to raise the profile of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre through expanded communications and marketing. | The SVPS Centre launched “Create Together Campaign.” The SVPS Centre is currently redesigning its website. | Underway |
| R7. Recommendation to identify the appropriate existing offices for respondent support. | Practice in place to notify Respondents of support resources when they become aware that a report was submitted under the policy. In the case of Respondents who are students, a designated support person is assigned to them to assist them with navigating the process and accessing appropriate support. | Implemented |
| R8. Recommendation to work with community and institutional partners to provide enhanced supports for survivors of sexual violence and sexual harassment. | The SVPS Centre has enhanced its relationship with Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic and now have in place a direct referral process for SVPS Centre clients seeking legal and/or counselling support from the Clinic. The SVPS Centre has mapped out various pathways to counselling for students and takes a client-centred approach to counselling. The SVPS Centre has referral pathways for students to access the university health centres; opportunities for strengthening these pathways are under review with the goal of improving clinical services for students. | Underway |
| R9. Recommendation for community consultations on proposed changes to Policy via student consultations website. | Occurred in Fall 2022 as part of the policy updates that occurred during that governance cycle. | Implemented |
| R10. Recommendation to revise Provostial Guideline on Conflict of Interest and Close Personal Relations (Guideline) in line with reviewers’ recommendations and changes to Policy. | U of T revised its language to reflect the impact of power dynamics on voluntary consent, and the revisions formalize and strengthen existing practices by stating unequivocally that the University of Toronto prohibits sexual or intimate relationships between a faculty member or librarian and a student whom they supervise, grade the work of, mentor or have other decision-making power over such as admissions and awards. Additionally, in July 2023, the University defined what might constitute a conflict of interest and how these situations should be handled in a staff context. Visit the Division of People Strategy, Equity & Culture website for full details of the respective policies and guidelines https://people.utoronto.ca/memos/university-of-toronto-policy-on-conflicts-of-interest-administrative-staff-and-related-guideline/. | Implemented |
| R11. Recommendation to determine ways in which timeliness and transparency can be increased in the complaint process while upholding due process and privacy requirements and communicate these across campuses. | U of T has collected data related to timelines and included this information in the new institutional report, assessing areas for improvement with the integration of the Case Manager roles. In relation to transparency in the process, education and outreach is underway to educate the community about the reporting process. The process will be considered and revised accordingly from a continuous improvement. | Underway |
| R12. Recommendation to develop and establish a process to fulfill the AAU recommendations and address the issue of “passing the harasser.” | In February 2023, language was added to appointment letter templates requiring external applicants to attest that there have been no substantiated findings of sexual misconduct against them, and that they are not the subject of an ongoing investigation or proceeding for sexual misconduct. A reference check process was also incorporated (as a pilot) into the 2023-24 recruitment cycle for new appointments with tenure at the ranks of associate professor and professor. When successful candidates are extended an offer of employment, they sign an Authorization to Release Information Form, which allows the University to contact institutions where they previously held faculty appointments at any time in the past 10 years, for the purpose of confirming the accuracy of their attestation. See the Provost’s website for a related memo https://memos.provost.utoronto.ca/implementation-of-reference-check-process-to-discourage-passing-the-harasser-pdadc-17/. | Implemented |
| Recommendation to bring changes to Policy and Guideline resulting from review and consultations to governance in Cycle 2. | The changes to the SVSH Policy were presented for approval to Governance in Cycle 2 on December 15, 2022. | Implemented |