A statement from Dr. Robert Haché, President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University
Between February and April, 2018, the “Student Voices on Sexual Violence Survey” was conducted by CCI Research to gather information for the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) about how students perceive, understand and respond to sexual violence. The survey’s summary report was issued in March 2019, and the full report has now been compiled and shared with postsecondary institutions.
Understanding and addressing sexual violence experienced by our students is a priority for us and the insights received through these reports help us in our continued efforts to make our students feel as safe, secure and supported as possible.
Unfortunately, sexual violence remains a pervasive, societal problem. We recognize this issue extends to our campuses and we strive to be leaders in the prevention of sexual violence and ensuring the appropriate supports are in place for our students.
The 2018 survey results for Laurentian University, and the postsecondary sector in Ontario, demonstrate that students have a strong awareness and understanding of sexual violence, but there remains a need for ongoing education to strengthen prevention and intervention efforts already underway.
As a result, and since 2018, we have increased our focus on training sessions, visibility campaigns and events which contribute to an increased awareness amongst our students, faculty and staff. Some of these include:
- Creation of the Presidential Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Violence
- Launch of Laurentian University’s Consent Awareness Campaign - Consent is simple #iask
- Creation of the Intake, Support and Community Outreach Coordinator role within the Equity, Diversity and Human Rights Office.
- Ongoing training and focused education for various campus stakeholders, including Upstander training (bystander response), training for faculty and staff, and collaboration to offer programming through community partners.
As we continue to ensure that our campus is a safe and welcoming place, I want to encourage you to visit the Equity, Diversity and Human Rights Office website or visit their office, which is located in the Arts Building (A-126) next to the Tim Hortons, to learn more about how you can positively contribute to the prevention of sexual violence on our campus, as well as to access resources and information on the range of supports and services available.
- View the Council of Ontario Universities’ statement and access the full survey results
- Over 746,000 full-time students at Ontario’s postsecondary campuses were invited to respond to the survey between February and April 2018.
- More than 160,000 students across Ontario participated in this voluntary survey.
- 26.5% of university students, 16.3% of college students, and 9.3% of private career college students submitted surveys.