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Report released on sexual violence Provostial committee recommends establishing a policy to address sexual violence NICOLE DANESI NEWS EDITOR U of T has published the findings of a 15-month, tri-campus review of the university’s dealing with sexual violence on campus. Released on Tuesday, the report lists five recommendations to be considered by the university, which includes the establishment of an institutional policy against sexual violence, the establishment of a centre for victims of sexual violence, and further education and training for students, faculty, and staff, among other recommendations made by U of T’s Provostial Committee on Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence. Among recommendations to provide further education on sexual violence, specific recommendations include educating staff, faculty, and students on the topic of consent. Also included in the report are a set of four principles to guide U
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The report listed five recommendations to deal with sexual violence at U of T. of T’s treatment of sexual violence. Among the principles, the report sets out “to create an environment where staff, students, and faculty are safe to learn, work, and live”
and that U of T “recognizes that language must be sensitive to the experiences of the individual who has experienced sexual violence”. Principles also include the es-
tablishment of practices and guidelines to ensure “procedural fairness” for both the accused and the accuser. Also included in the report were
the results of consultations with 298 U of T students and staff. Results reported 39 percent of students would choose to report an incident of sexual assault to Campus Police, while 29 percent would report an incident to the police. “The recommendations of the committee seek to impact both immediate and longterm efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence for the University of Toronto community,” wrote committee cochairs Angela Hildyard, U of T’s VP human resources and equity, and Sandy Welsh, U of T’s viceprovost, students. The committee, originally formed in November 2014 by U of T president Meric Gertler and VP and vice-provost Cheryl Regehr, is made up of university administration, students, and staff, including UTSU president Ben Coleman and recent UTM alumna Absiola Olaniyi.
Parking permit and residence costs face hike Three percent parking permit and five percent residence fee increases passed by Campus Council which students will see on their residence invoice come September. Residence fees are currently divided into components including room, laundry, and rezNET (wireless internet) fee, but will be redesigned to eliminate confusion and present a single owing sum in place of multiple line items. According to Nuttall, UTM’s older campus residences are in need of renovations and fee increases will allow for an improvement to living accommodations on campus. Nuttall also reported that the fee increase had already been presented to the Student Housing Advisory Committee through multiple meetings, ultimately endorsing the five percent fee increase.
ALICIA BOATTO Campus Council has passed a motion to increase residence and parking permit fees for the 2016/17 academic year. In the third Campus Council meeting of the academic year, held on Thursday, members discussed mental health in residence, an update on talks to establish a U of T presence in Brampton, and the costs of parking, residence, and food on campus. PARKING FEE INCREASE Parking permit rates will face a three percent increase in the 2016/17 academic year, following a vote by Campus Council. Paul Donoghue, UTM’s chief administrative officer, informed the council that UTM’s campus parking is at full capacity and a new parking deck expansion will create an additional 300 vehicle spaces. As reported in UTM’s November 2015 service ancillary report, the construction project will begin this March. Other options, such as smart parking, were discussed but deemed unbeneficial as a long-term plan.
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An “all-blended rate” will now be used to charge students living on residence. Smart parking would allow students to connect an app on their phone to a sensor in the UTM parking lots; the app would then locate an available spot and direct the user to the open space. Donoghue reasoned that, while innovative, the technology would not provide the additional resource
UTM needs and instead students should be encouraged to arrive early to campus to claim a parking spot for their vehicles. Council agreed that a lot expansion is a better use of funds to prepare for the growing UTM population. Pay and display rates will not be affected.
RESIDENCE RATE INCREASE Residences fees will also face an increase in the 2016/17 academic year. The five percent increase will be implemented through a new invoice structure on ACORN. Chad Nuttall, UTM’s director of student housing and residence life, introduced a new “all-blended rate”,
FOOD ON CAMPUS Vicky Jezierski, UTM’s director of hospitality and retail operations, provided an overview of prices and revenue of meal plans on campus for the 2016/17 academic year, stating that there would be no price increase from any non-branded food providers. Fees continued on page 2