The AMS is still reviewing its sexual violence and respectful workplace policies, two years after the review launched.
The reviews began in summer 2021, and were projected to be fully implemented by September 2022, but remain incomplete. The policies were passed in 2019, and are supposed to be reviewed every two years.
Policy PC2, previously known as I-17, outlines administrative procedures for disclosure of sexual misconduct, and applies to all AMS members, clubs, non-student staff and subsidiaries. I-18 sets expectations and guidelines for respectful conduct in the workplace, and addressing issues like workplace harassment and bullying when they occur.
Previous criticisms of the policies point to the inaccessibility of these documents due to the use of complicated language. Critics has also asked the AMS to ensure that resources are clearly highlighted and available for those that require support.
In October, VP Academic and University Affairs Dana Turdy said policy PC2 revisions would be completed “in the next few months.”
AMS President Eshana Bhangu said multiple drafts of the policies are currently ongoing.
She said these drafts were produced after consulting with various stakeholders on campus, such as the AMS’s Sexual Assault and Support Centre (SASC), the UBC Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) and the Equity and Inclusion Office (EIO), among others.
The process of review involved lots of “behind-the-scenes, ground work,” according to Bhangu
The main areas of improvement include making these policies more accessible to students, Bhangu said, as well as ensuring that the policies are “airtight” from a legal perspective.
She highlighted that after students, these policies most affect AMS employees, such as food and beverage workers in the Nest. “From an employment perspective, the technicalities matter,” she said.
After the ongoing drafts are finalized under the guidance of the AMS policy advisor Mimi Neufeld, Bhangu said the revised policy will be presented to the AMS executive committee for approval. Once approved, the policies will go to AMS Council for approval, after which the updated policies will be posted on the AMS website.
Bhangu said she hopes the revised policies can be completed and approved by the middle of next term.
“These policies are two of the most important policies for the AMS. It’s important that we’re not being hasty,” she said.