Earlier in June, the University of Toronto (U of T) approved the contentious University-Mandated Leave of Absence Policy, which allows the university to place students with severe mental health problems on a non-punitive, mandatory leave.
Sandy Welsh, vice-provost (students), said in a news release that “the policy was developed in response to concerns raised by the U of T ombudsperson about the university’s ability to address student behaviours during periods of extreme distress caused by serious health or mental health issues.”
The previous policy which is part of the Code of Student Conduct, only had tools “disciplinary in nature,” the release said, such as academic penalties of probation, or suspension for one or more terms.
The policy was first introduced in the 2017 fall term by the school administration for approval, but was postponed following student resistance and a letter from from Renu Mandhane, chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, requesting the university review the policy, according to the Students for Barrier-free Access’ (SBA) website.
But, the backlash to the policy continued after the decision was postponed. The Varsity, U of T’s student paper, reported about 50 students gathered outside the June 27 meeting in which the policy was approved, protesting the lack of consultation.
While the university said there were 18 months of consultations prior to the approval, Jenn Rintjema, a U of T student and the mental health deputy commissioner for the for the University College Literary and Athletic Society, said the student feedback collected through a U of T survey was largely ignored.
Rintjema said she was appalled by the approval of the policy.
Having struggled with severe depression and suicidal thoughts in her first year, Rintjema said she sought help from the university services, but was told she would be placed on a waitlist and might not be seen by a counsellor until the end of the school year.
She said the policy seems to be a way for the U of T to save money on hiring additional support staff and a way to remove its name from any potential news stories of student suicides.
“It seems like they were creating a solution for their problems but not really tackling the actual problem,” Rintjema said.
Rachele Clemente, volunteer, administrator, and programming coordinator at the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Toronto, said the most worrisome part of the policy is that it further stigmatized students with mental health problems.
The policy doesn’t allow the student placed on mandated leave to access the campus, which, Clemente says, means students who rely on U of T’s mental health support services can’t do so anymore.
“It’s already really hard in post-secondary institutions to come forward and be like ‘I am struggling with depression, or anxiety attacks, or suicidal thoughts,’ and this is only going to make it more difficult,” Clemente said. “If we threaten students with what is essentially almost like an expulsion from the campus, no one is going to want to come forward.”
