A year after Saint Mary’s University began investigation into a frosh week chant promoting sexual violence, university officials have kept their promise to reevaluate orientation week rituals. The chant, which referenced non-consensual sex with underage girls, resulted in demands from students and the public for changes to school policies regarding frosh week, sexual assault, and alcohol use.
A panel was held at Saint Mary’s in 2013 to discuss the modifications that needed to be made to orientation. As a result of the panel, frosh leaders are now required to participate in a two-day course on sexual consent, alcohol use, leadership, mental health, and diversity.
Frosh week has now been renamed “Welcome Week.”
The panel, chaired by Dalhousie University professor Wayne MacKay, also developed a code of conduct to be upheld by the participants and facilitators of Welcome Week. New policies have been implemented on campus to educate students about consent and deal with alcohol use, although no changes have been made to the school’s alcohol policy.
In an interview with CBC, MacKay said though they focused on orientation week, the panel aims to address the bigger societal issues of sexual violence and rape culture at universities.
The University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business underwent scandal last year after evidence of a similar orientation week chant surfaced online. In response, control of frosh week, now called The Spark, has been shifted from the Commerce Undergraduate Society (CUS) to the Sauder Undergraduate office.
UBC students and CUS will still maintain a presence throughout the week, with four student directors and seven student co-ordinators on the planning committee. Since last year, the CUS executive council and all orientation week leaders have taken anti-violence ally training through the university’s Sexual Assault Support Centre.
Related articles: https://charlatan.ca/2013/09/saint-marys-alumnus-returns-degrees-in-protest-of-frosh-chant/
