Open Letter to the UBC Community
In recent weeks, it has become clear that there are serious problems with UBC’s sexual assault policies and procedures. President Martha Piper’s broadcast email to the UBC community after the fifth estate report acknowledged that UBC must act in a “more timely and effective manner” and promised to “begin a discussion with students, faculty, and staff” on developing a sexual assault policy.
The current problems, however, do not seem limited to efficiency or timeliness, and we need more than a discussion. It is clear that some students and alumni who brought forward reports of sexual assault have suffered additional harm due to UBC’s policies and procedures. We, as a group of UBC faculty members, wish now publicly to acknowledge this harm that resulted from a failure of UBC to take as seriously as it should its duties of care to members of its community. As faculty members, we share in a responsibility to ensure that UBC fulfill its obligations to protect its community. We apologize to the people affected for not doing and not demanding better.
We now pledge to the UBC community that we will take an active part in improving UBC’s policies and procedures regarding sexual assault and related matters of safety and equity. This action will include gathering material relevant to improving UBC policies and procedures, discussing sexual assault among faculty and with students and staff, consulting with experts both within and beyond the UBC community, and helping to ensure that UBC engages in a fully consultative process regarding new policies and procedures in order to have those new policies and procedures in place no later than the start of classes for the 2016–17 academic year in September.
Sincerely,
Scott Anderson (Philosophy)
Patricia Badir (English)
Steven Barnes (Psychology and Vantage College)
Jon Beasley-Murray (French, Hispanic, and Italian)
Jennifer Berdahl (Sauder)
Sylvia Berryman (Philosophy)
Alejandra Bronfman (History)
Maxwell Cameron (Political Science)
Timothy Cheek (Institute for Asian Research and History)
Gillian Creese (Sociology)
Bo Earle (English)
Siân Echard (English)
Antje Ellerman (Political Science)
William E. French (History)
Eagle Glassheim (History)
Kathryn Grafton (Coordinated Arts Program and English)
Kerry Greer (Sociology)
Christina Hendricks (Philosophy)
Anita Hubley (Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education)
Jonathan Ichikawa (Philosophy)
Carrie Jenkins (Philosophy)
Deirdre Kelly (Educational Studies)
Thomas Kemple (Sociology)
Carl Leggo (Language and Literacy Education)
Greg Martin (Mathematics)
Renisa Mawani (Sociology)
Siobhán McElduff (Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies)
Kevin McNeilly (English)
Amy Metcalfe (Educational Studies)
Sara Milstein (Classical, Near Eastern, and Religious Studies)
Miguel Mota (English)
Shaylih Muehlmann (Anthropology)
Carla Nappi (History)
Juliet O'Brien (French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies)
Jenny Peterson (Political Science and Vantage College)
Paige Raibmon (History)
Alan Richardson (Philosophy)
Bruce Rusk (Asian Studies)
Judy Segal (English)
Lisa Sundstrom (Political Science)
Katja Thieme (ASRW, English, and Vantage College)
Daniel Vickers (History)
Brandy Wiebe (Sociology)
The forty-three UBC faculty members listed above signed the initial letter, dated 6 January 2016. Additional faculty members are welcome to continue to sign. Email ichikawa@gmail.com to request to be added to the list. Please send the request from your @ubc.ca address.
Additional signatories:
This letter is accessible via http://tinyurl.com/UBCFacultyOpenLetter