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UBC Faculty Members Apologize For 'Not Demanding Better' On Sexual Assaults On Students

The Canadian Press, 08 Jan, 2016 10:46 AM

VANCOUVER — University of British Columbia faculty members have signed an open letter apologizing for not doing more to ensure the institution protects students from sexual assaults.

More than 80 faculty members from a wide range of disciplines have signed the letter dated Jan. 6 and addressed to the UBC community.

The university has come under fire after a group of students and alumni complained that it took a year and a half for school administrators to act on multiple sexual assault allegations against a PhD student.

UBC has hired an independent investigator to review its response to the allegations and has promised to begin a discussion to develop a stand-alone sexual assault policy.

But the open letter says the current problems do not seem limited to efficiency or timeliness, and the community needs more than a discussion.

The signees pledge that they will take an active part in improving UBC's sexual assault policy in order to have new procedures in place by the start of the next academic year in September.

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