The University of Windsor has announced it plans to draft a standalone sexual assault policy in response to increasing sexual misconduct on campus.
Clayton Smith, the dean of students at the university, said the decision to create a policy was spurred largely by a string of four sexual assaults that occurred in September.
“What really crystalized our attention here is that in the first week of school, we had in fact four cases related to sexual misconduct,” he said. “Historically, we’d have about four cases a year.”
Smith said the September assaults weren’t the only cause for the new policy.
“There were local conditions here that made us realize that this was a bigger problem,” he said.
A recent study said about one in every four women who attend the university either observe or are involved in some form of sexual misconduct.
“That’s a huge number,” Smith said. “Think about that. One of every four.”
According to Smith, the university’s sexual assault policy will be part of a larger framework that seeks to curb sexual violence through education, preventative measures, enforcement, and the creation of a “culture of care” to help both victims and perpetrators.
When the policy is implemented, the University of Windsor will join a list of nine other universities with formal sexual assault policies. According to Smith, that number will continue to grow.
“The Council of Ontario Universities has kind of gotten on the bandwagon,” Smith said. “What I think you’re going to see is all universities in Ontario move ahead with policies of this type.”
Currently, Carleton University addresses sexual assault in its human rights policies and procedures, not a standalone policy.
Carolyn Johnston, Carleton’s co-ordinator of sexual assault services, said Carleton is investigating a standalone policy on sexual assault.
“We are currently researching the policies of other universities across Canada as a result of the Ontario government’s input on the issue,” she said.
Johnston said she’s not certain when the process will be complete, but that the policy development process will include input from students, staff, and faculty.
Wendy McCann, a spokesperson for the Council of Ontario Universities, said all 20 Ontario universities reaffirmed in November their commitment to prevent and respond to sexual assault.
“All universities have policies and procedures, but they recognized that in their current form they weren’t easy enough for survivors to navigate,” she said.
As a result, each university has now pledged to create an easily accessible website detailing its sexual assault procedure.
The page must also include a statement from the university president affirming the school’s commitment to prevent and respond to sexual assault.
