University of Manitoba approves new sex assault policy

The University of Manitoba says it is taking sexual assaults seriously with the release of a new set of guidelines designed to keep students and staff safe while providing support to those who have been assaulted on campus.

The university said recent examples of sexual violence on campuses pushed administration to take a hard look at its own policies and ask whether more could be done.

In April, Brandon University came under fire after a student revealed she was asked to sign a contract that limited who she could tell about her sexual assault, which happened on campus in 2015.

• Brandon University sexual assault victims forced to sign contract that keeps them silent
• Brandon University halts contracts requiring sex assault victims to keep silent
• Brandon University appoints full-time sexual violence therapist, co-ordinator

BU has since revised its policies and hired a full-time therapist and co-ordinator to offer more resources to victims of sexual violence on campus.

"We have seen from other jurisdictions that getting every point right in the development of these policies can be challenging, but we are confident our process brought the right voices to the table to be heard, and we are committed to an ongoing assessment of the policy to ensure its effectiveness," U of M president David Barnard said in a statement Friday. 

Victim 'final decision-maker'

The U of M said its policy will help guide and support sex assault victims through the disclosure process. It builds from and acknowledges that the person who has been assaulted is the "final decision-maker" of how the process should move along, a news release said.

The new rules will also accommodate victims and help them keep up with school work based on their level of comfort and recovery, the release said, and lists of support officials available to be contacted in the event of a sexual assault will be publicly available to people on campus.

The U of M started to look at the issue closely in 2014, when administration formed a working group that eventually expanded to include talks with faculty, staff and students about how to improve the current model for dealing with sexual assault, the news release said.

Its new policies were developed in line with aspects of Bill C-204 and are "designed to provide support and training guidelines to assist in dealing with incidents of sexual assault," the U of M statement said. Bill C-204 was introduced in December 2015 and proposes amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code that would recognize and prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.

The U of M's student/staff threat assessment triage intervention support (STATIS) team already provides resources for survivors of sexual assault online. Another function of STATIS is to teach witnesses how to stop sexual assaults, the university said.

"The development of student orientation programming related to responsible use of alcohol, sexual assault and consent contributes to a culture of safety and respect," the statement said.