The Graduate Student Society (GSS) has struck a special committee intended to address problems of harassment and discrimination on campus.
In the last meeting of the GSS on July 16, the council unanimously voted in favour of forming the committee. According to Tobias Friedel, GSS president, the committee hopes to investigate and remedy existing gaps in the procedures around harassment and discrimination.
“We have been approached by students that felt some of the procedures that are in place are not efficient to ensure safe environments for [a] student to come forward with issues,” said Friedel, when asked what prompted the formation of the committee.
The committee will invite students to share their stories of discrimination and harassment in order to develop a current picture of the issue. Next, the committee will begin what Friedel calls the “research phase,” where they will look at potential policy adjustments.
“The third step after the research has been done would be specific advocacy and policy recommendations coming out of the committee that help us advocate to UBC, to Universities Canada and other applicable institutions of government,” said Friedel.
In other words, support for students who have experienced discrimination or harassment are just one part of the committee’s mandate -- the other portion has to do with preventative measures to reduce the overall number of incidences.
“I think at least some cases can be reduced to ignorance and not being aware that what the person is doing at the time is offensive, and if we can catch those cases before they even happen, that would be the ideal solution,” said Friedel.
According to Friedel, while there are other committees on campus who look at issues of discrimination and harassment at least as part of their portfolio, this committee sets itself apart by bringing a graduate student perspective to the issues.
“[Grad students] not only have the contact with their supervisors that is problematic because of power imbalance but they’re also facing other students as TAs in a position of responsibility," said Friedel. "This is another area where we feel that graduate students might be needing more support."
Seating of members to the committee has yet to begin, but a call to the UBC community has been issued and the committee will officially begin late August.