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• A disclosure is the sharing of information by a survivor with a ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ employee concerning an incident of GBSV.
• A complaint is the sharing of information concerning an incident of GBSV with the intention of initiating a formal complaint process with the University.

The decision to file a complaint is a decision to be made by the survivor. Accessing support and resources does not require the filing of a formal complaint with the University.

Non-criminal complaints of gender-based and sexual violence are managed by the Student Support & Case Management Office (where the Respondent is a student) or the Human Rights Office (where the Respondent is an employee). A complaint can be made by contacting one of these offices directly or by . 

Criminal Reports are separate and are managed by the applicable police services. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Special Constable Services can assist students in connecting with their local police service.

Survivors of sexual assault who are living in Ontario may be eligible for up to four hours of free, confidential legal advice. Information about this service and eligibility criteria can be found here.

The initial review assesses whether there is appropriate jurisdiction and whether the allegations constitute a violation of the policy. The Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) then decides if the complaint should be referred for investigation. This referral decision is not subject to review or appeal.

There may be interim measures put in place while the investigation and complaint process happen. These will take into account the interests of the Complainant and Respondent, the integrity of the process, and the health and safety of university community members. They are not disciplinary and do not represent a finding of misconduct.

They might include things like a no-contact directive, suspending campus or work-related privileges, moving an office to another location. For more information, refer to the full policy document.

A Respondent subject to interim measures can ask the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) to reconsider whether they are appropriate.

The Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) will notify the Respondent in writing about the investigation. It will include a summary of the allegations, describe any interim measures and how to seek reconsideration of these, and identify potential sources of support during the process.

An investigation is carried out by a trained investigator who will typically obtain written responses and documents from the Respondent, conduct interviews, gather any other relevant documentation, and produce an investigation report.

Throughout the investigation, the Complainant and Respondent can have a support person (including legal counsel at their own expense) present for meetings.

The investigation report produced will review the complaint and determine whether the facts of the allegations have been established, but will not determine whether the Policy has been breached or recommend any sanctions.
The university is committed to thorough and timely investigations of complaints, all the while keeping both the Complainant and Respondent up-to-date about its status.

Using the investigation report, the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) will determine whether, on the balance of probabilities, Gender-based and Sexual Violence occurred. The Respondent and Complainant will be notified in writing of the decision, why it was made, and how to appeal. If requested by either the Complainant or Respondent, the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) will provide access to the investigation report.

Sanctions: The Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) will consider submissions on sanctions from the Complainant and Respondent. Sanctions may range from written warnings and educational sanctions, to access restrictions, limitations to privileges (financial awards, employment, residence space), suspension, or expulsion.

Either the Complainant or Respondent can make an appeal within two weeks of a decision. Directions on how to submit an appeal are included in the written copy of the decision, and are also detailed in the university’s full policy. Grounds for an appeal include: new evidence, serious procedural errors, that the decision made was unreasonable or unsupported by evidence, or that the sanctions were unreasonable.

An appeal hearing will be scheduled with at least two weeks notice where the person making the appeal and the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) will be heard by an Adjudicator appointed by the Provost & Vice-President (Academic).

At the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience)’s discretion, the Respondent & Complainant can participate in an informal resolution process. This takes place after Step 3 and before Step 5. The informal resolution process is conducted by the Director of Human Rights Office, or another qualified staff or faculty member.

Both the Complainant and Respondent can end the informal resolution process at any time. Any resolution must be acceptable to both, as well as the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience).

If no agreement is reached within a reasonable amount of time, the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) will issue a decision based on the materials and information received in the formal complaint process.

Required Training: Supporting Disclosures of GBSV at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ has developed an introductory training module to help you learn what to say and do, and what is expected of you as an employee, to support students or colleagues if you receive a disclosure. This module is required safety learning for all ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ employees and takes approximately 25 minutes to complete.

Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence on University Campuses.

An advanced, two-hour session developed by  is also available. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CREVAWC team are international leaders in the development and application of knowledge for the prevention of violence against women and children. Employees seeking to deepen their understanding of GBSV are encouraged to complete this module.