FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UBC Vancouver’s Student Society Announces Comprehensive Review of Key Policies for a Safer Campus
September 8, 2023, Vancouver – The Alma Mater Society of UBC (AMS) is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive campus environment. In an effort to enhance the safely and well-being of the UBC community, the AMS has been reviewing two key policies:
These policies are complex, and while the policy development team endeavoured to incorporate feedback from various campus groups, students made it clear that there is still more work to do before finalizing a proposed policy update. AMS Council voted to postpone the approval of the policies in order for further refinement to occur to ensure the policy updates truly reflect the needs and concerns of the campus community.
“Best efforts were made to meet the goal of having a new policy approved for the new school year, but we heard loud and clear that students want further input on what the policies look like in the end,” says AMS President Esmé Decker. “We look forward to having this time now to collaborate more with student groups, staff, and experts to make a new and improved policy.”
The AMS has initiated immediate action to restart the review of PC1 and PC2, by reaching out to external consultants who can help plan and facilitate a more robust and inclusive consultation process. This process will involve further collaboration with AMS groups and community members such as the Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC), AMS Resource Groups, AMS Equity and Inclusion Specialist, Undergrad Societies, the Graduate Student Society, and other key stakeholders.
In the interim, the AMS is collaborating with its partners to develop training programs and resources. Topics for training include addressing sexualized violence through trauma-informed approaches, unbiased decision making, procedural fairness, and privacy. These initiatives are designed to better equip decision-makers named in the current policies, enhancing their ability to support students during this review period. The AMS remains committed to improving the campus experience for all students, even as these policies are under review.
