Advocacy And Support For Survivors | End Campus Sexual Violence

We are making progress towards ending campus sexual violence.

The University of Alberta has hired a Sexual Violence Response Coordinator, dedicated to the response and prevention of sexual and gendered violence at a policy level.

Deb Eerkes is dedicated to "review and strengthen institutional policy and procedures, to ensure training programs are accessible and reflect best practices, and will help to build a network of expertise and resources across our campuses" (The Quad, Jan 2022)

Get in touch with Deb with any questions about sexual and gender-based violence policy and procedure.

The University of Alberta has published a new, trauma-informed sexual and gender based violence response policy based on student feedback.

Based on extensive student consultation and feedback, and alongside a new Student Conduct Policy, the University of Alberta Board of Governors and General Faculties Council have implemented and published a new policy.

Many policies and procedures that are affected by this new policy at in the process of being updated accordingly. Your UASU will keep you updated on the progress of these new procedures' effectiveness in responding effectively to, and preventing violence on campus.

We still need to keep the pressure on the University.

Student Representative walkouts lead to publication of the Sexual Violence Management Audit Report

Review the Audit

In November 2021, the UASU, the Graduate Students' Association, 20 other student associations, and the Non-Academic Staff Association at the University of Alberta signed a joint letter demanding concrete reforms. The letter highlighted key deficiencies in training, reporting and support mechanisms, intersectional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) issues, and instructors' collective agreement. Dozens of student representatives walked out of the General Faculties Council — stalling major governance processes for weeks — to protest the University's inaction.

Within days of the walkout, as mentioned in a set of public minutes, the Board of Governors privately commissioned an audit of all policies, procedures, systems, and resources related to sexual violence prevention and response.
The UASU filed a freedom of information request for the private audit's results.

Compiled over the course of Winter 2022, the U of A's internal Sexual Violence Management Audit was prepared at the request of the Board Audit and Risk Committee and exclusively focused on the effectiveness of the university's policies and procedures for complaints of sexual violence and harassment, as well as the effectiveness of sexual violence and harassment prevention systems. The audit reaffirms the university's most recent steps to move us towards our goals to address sexual and gender-based violence.