The Psychology EDI Committee provides an overview of UBC’s resources for support services through the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) and reporting options through the Investigations Office.
This overview provides descriptive information about what happens when someone chooses to disclose sexual misconduct for the purpose of receiving support and/or chooses to report sexual misconduct for the purpose of seeking an investigation. It is neither an endorsement nor a criticism of the existing policy.
The infographic below (thanks SVPRO) sketches out various scenarios, and you can read the full policy here. In brief, a person who discloses an experience can access support through SVPRO and gets to decide whether to file a formal report with the Investigations Office. The person can choose to pursue both options, either option, or neither option. There are also community resources available.
SVPRO is a confidential place for those who have experienced, or been impacted by, any form of sexual or gender-based violence, harassment, or harm, regardless of where or when it took place. They serve students, faculty, and staff of all genders, including those who are supporting others who have been impacted by this type of harm. SVPRO describes their support services here, which includes accompanying the person through the process of reporting to the Investigations Office.
The Investigations Office is an impartial office that responds to formal reports of sexual misconduct and discrimination involving UBC students, faculty, and staff through investigations and alternative resolution processes. They explain their process here. Once a person files a report seeking an investigation, the UBC Investigations Office first determines whether UBC has jurisdiction to investigate. If so, that office appoints an Investigator who gathers and analyzes information to determine whether they have findings of a breach of the Sexual Misconduct Policy. If so, the appropriate UBC authority determines what the disciplinary action should be. Due to privacy constraints, disciplinary information is not shared with the person who reported.
There are time limits within which each step of the investigations process needs to take place, but even respecting those time limits, the entire process can take several months. During this time, temporary safeguards can be put in place to prevent the situation from persisting. For example, depending on the situation, the respondent (person who has been reported) may be prohibited from communicating with certain people, or have their role at UBC provisionally changed. However, during the entire process and even afterwards, there are strict rules limiting the sharing of information, to protect the privacy of everyone involved. This means any reports, investigations, safeguards, or disciplinary actions will not be apparent to most members of the UBC community.
The Psychology EDI Committee stands in solidarity with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, harassment, and harm. Our committee is always interested in ideas and suggestions to make our community safer, more just, and inclusive. Anyone may contact a member of our committee to have a confidential conversation. The information will be held in confidence unless or until the person decides otherwise.
Resources
- UBC Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO)
- UBC Investigations Office
- UBC Respondent Resource Office
