OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT March 16, 2016 In the wake of the recent news reports and university announcements concerning a case of sexual harassment, we, the undersigned Brock University faculty members, would like to highlight some pressing problems and propose some courses of action. We are deeply troubled by the news of this case and wish to express our sympathies with the student complainant, who has seen no prompt action taken by the university in response to the findings of the investigative report, and has felt so discouraged and silenced by the university. It is reprehensible that this student’s trust has been abused, and we salute her courage for speaking out. This case demonstrates what many faculty and staff have come to recognize: the university’s policies and processes with which to address and resolve complaints of harassment and assault are unclear, ineffective, and unfair. Many of us in recent years have observed how inadequate, contradictory, and often self-defeating the process has proved. This situation cannot stand. The university administration needs to support and preserve the general culture of profound pedagogical commitment and collegial trust at Brock. Acknowledging the mandate of the sexual violence prevention committee created only last fall, we call for the following: (1) a significant commitment of resources (funding, staff, and autonomy) to a fully functional Human Rights office; (2) a considered, clear, and responsible survivor-centred process for handling these and related kinds of complaints, in accord with provincial legislation and the Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA), drafted not solely by administration but with the HRO and in consultation with BUFA and CUPE and all other affected unions (so that unions sign on and are not forced to grieve against an incoherent or unclear process) as well as student counselling services and campus security; (3) the dissemination of a set of clear instructions and guidelines for faculty, staff, and students, including those concerning the responsibilities of faculty and staff in reporting complaints and the rights of faculty, staff, and students involved in such complaints. Signed, Sharon Abbey Professor Education Director, Centre for Adult Education and Community Outreach Jennifer Ajandi 2 Instructor Women’s and Gender Studies Robert Alexander Associate Professor English Language and Literature Natalie Alvarez Associate Professor Dramatic Arts Lynn Arner Associate Professor English Language and Literature Gregory Betts Associate Professor English Language and Literature Simon Black Assistant Professor Centre for Labour Studies Jeff Boggs Associate Professor Geography Marian Bredin Associate Professor Communication, Popular Culture and Film Mary Breunig Associate Professor Recreation and Leisure Studies Jonah Butovsky Associate Professor Sociology David Butz Professor Geography Elizabeth Campbell-Bamforth Instructor English Language and Literature Natalee Caple Assistant Professor 3 English Language and Literature Rick Cheel Professor Earth Sciences Sangchee Chun Associate Professor Recreation and Leisure Studies Tim Conley Professor English Language and Literature Janet M. Conway, PhD Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair in Social Justice Sociology Nancy Cook Associate Professor Sociology June Corman Professor Sociology Lauren Corman Associate Professor Sociology Gale Coskan-Johnson Assistant Professor English Language and Literature Kendra Coulter Associate Professor Centre for Labour Studies Keri Cronin Associate Professor Visual Arts Ronald Cummings Assistant Professor English Language and Literature Michael Driedger Associate Professor History 4 Tim Dun Associate Professor Communication, Popular Culture and Film Tamara El-Hoss Associate Professor Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures David Fancy Associate Professor Dramatic Arts Gavin Fearon Instructor, Technical Director Dramatic Arts Margot Francis Associate Professor Women’s and Gender Studies / Sociology Tami J. Friedman Associate Professor History Jennifer Good Associate Professor Communication, Popular Culture and Film Neta Gordon Associate Professor English Language and Literature Jane Helleiner Professor Sociology Ana Isla Professor Sociology and the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies Mandy Deans Kassies Librarian Tamari Kitossa Associate Professor Sociology Murray Knuttila 5 Professor Sociology Wendee Kubik Associate Professor Women’s and Gender Studies Sarah Matheson Associate Professor Communication, Popular Culture & Film Dan McCarthy Associate Professor Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences Richard C. Mitchell Associate Professor Child and Youth Studies Dolana Mogadime Associate Professor Education Shannon A. Moore Associate Professor Child and Youth Studies Trent Newmeyer Associate Professor Recreation and Leisure Studies Director, Women’s and Gender Studies Jean Ntakirutimana Associate Professor Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures Carmela Patrias Professor History Andrew Pendakis Assistant Professor English Language and Literature Josée Plouffe Instructor Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures Shauna Pomerantz 6 Associate Professor Child and Youth Studies Gyllian Raby Associate Professor Dramatic Arts Rebecca Raby Professor Child and Youth Studies Mary-Beth Raddon Associate Professor Sociology Monica Rettig Librarian II Felipe E. Ruan Associate Professor Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures Trish Ruebottom Assistant Professor Marketing, International Business and Strategy Daniel Samson Associate Professor History Barbara Seeber Professor English Language and Literature Susan Spearey Associate Professor English Language and Literature Mark G. Spencer Associate Professor History Linda Steer Associate Professor Visual Arts / Liberal Arts Carole Stewart Associate Professor English Language and Literature 7 Ebru Ustundag Associate Professor Geography Cathy van Ingen Associate Professor Kinesiology Sherri Vansickle Lecturer Tecumseh Centre, Faculty of Education David Vivian Associate Professor Dramatic Arts Elizabeth Vlossak Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director History Tony Volk Associate Professor Child and Youth Studies Maxim Voronov Professor Marketing, International Business and Strategy Heather Whipple Librarian III Caroline Whitfield Instructor English Language and Literature Murray Wickett, Associate Professor History Elizabeth Yates Acting Head, Liaison Services/Scholarly Communication Librarian