The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response (SVPR) Task Force has been established in accordance with McMaster’s Sexual Violence Policy to support the mandate of the Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office.
The Task Force has four broad responsibilities:
Sexual Violence Prevention and Response practices will centre a trauma-informed approach, forefront an ethic of care and empathic interactions, apply an anti-oppressive, intersectional, and culturally relevant lens, ensure procedurally fair processes, and pursue evidence-informed and community-engaged actions.
Practices will centre a trauma-informed approach by (1) recognizing the widespread traumatic effects of sexual violence on those who experience and those who are impacted by sexual violence, (2) considering the biopsychosocial signs and symptoms of trauma and the immediate and/or longer-term impacts on the holistic (physical, mental, sexual, emotional, spiritual, social) health and wellbeing of individuals involved, (3) ensuring knowledge about trauma is incorporated into policies, procedures, and practices, (4) avoiding re-traumatizing individuals who have experienced sexual violence and (5) promoting empowerment-oriented pathways to recovery.
To forefront an ethic of care and empathic interactions is to treat all persons involved with compassion and respect, including those who disclose or report an experience of sexual violence and those who are alleged to have caused harm or to have violated the sexual violence policy.
To apply an anti-oppressive, intersectional, and culturally relevant lens is to recognize the broader sociocultural context in which forms of sexual and gender-based violence occur and intersect with other forms of oppression (e.g., racism, ableism, and classism in addition to sexism, homophobia, and transphobia for instance) and to be cognizant of and work to counteract sociocultural myths about sexual violence, which create barriers to reporting and recovery.
To ensure procedurally fair processes is to adhere to principles of natural justice (e.g., the right to be heard and to impartiality) and due process (e.g., respect for the legal rights owed to persons) for all persons involved, including the right to confidentiality and timeliness through investigative processes in accordance with privacy legislation and other relevant legal and policy requirements.
To pursue evidence-based and community-engaged strategic actions is to recognize the need to be informed by current scholarship and best practices and to build communities of practice to mobilize effective collective efforts to change both individual behaviours and transform the culture.
The Task Force will be Chaired by the AVPEI (or designate) and must be representative of the diversity of McMaster’s student population, as well as faculty and administration.
Equity and Inclusion Office
Students and Representatives of Student Voice
Staff Representatives of Relevant Constituents and from Relevant Service Units
Faculty Representatives of Relevant Constituents and with Relevant Scholarly, Professional, or Community Links
The Chair will convene 1.5 hour-long monthly meetings of the Task Force. Adhoc sub-committees will be established, as needed, to work on initiatives to advance the four broad tasks. The Task Force may consult, engage and collaborate with relevant campus and local community partners and experts, as required.
While sexual violence prevention and response is a campus-wide responsibility, accountability for the effective administration of prevention and response policies and programs resides with senior administrators who are vested with specific roles codified in the Sexual Violence Policy.
The Associate Vice-President Equity and Inclusion (AVPEI) oversees the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office within the Equity and Inclusion Office and is responsible for championing the effective development and implementation of sexual violence prevention and response strategies.
As the AVPEI reports to both the Provost & Vice President and the President & Vice-Chancellor, the Task Force is advisory to the AVPEI and accountable to both the President and the Provost through the AVPEI.
The Task Force mandate and membership are adherent to the Provincial Government’s requirements in relation to the establishment of post-secondary education task forces to combat campus sexual violence. Its work will be reported to the Senate and Board of Governors through the Equity and Inclusion Office (EIO) Annual Report posted to the EIO website. The annual report will also be submitted to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
Lenore Lukasik-Foss, Director, SVPRO & AOP – Chair Natalie Lafleur, Case Manager, Sexual Violence Response, SVPRO Wil Fujarczuk, Program Manager, Prevention Education, SVPRO – Secretary
Students Simranjeet Singh, MSU Rep Olivia Crichton, WGEN Rep Norah Frye, PCC Rep Arash Aria, Diversity Services Rep Phoebe Wang, Maccess Rep Jakayla (Jak) Douse (interim), Varsity Leadership Committee Representative Caroline Seiler, GSA Rep Sarah Lade, GSA Rep Laurie Baker, Undergraduate Peer Educator (SVPRO) Ben Sclodnick, Graduate Peer Educator (SVPRO) Renee McIntosh, MSU Human Resources Generalist & Clubs Support
Staff Rosanne Kent, SWC Shylo Elmayan, ISS Chris Eley, Residence Life Sean Beaudette, SSC – Orientation and Transition Kaitlin Kellogg, SSCMO Courtney Livesey, HRS ELR Deb Garland, HRS OD Glenn DeCaire, Security Services Andrea Cole, Graduate Studies Karen Sutton, UNIFOR 555 Women’s Advocate Conroy Christie, CUPE 3906 (TAs) Equity Officer Carolyn Brendon, University Ombuds
Faculty Dr. Anne Niec, Professor Pediatrics & Faculty Lead, Professionalism Office, Health Science Dr. Lydia Kapiriri, MUFA Special Enquiries and Grievances Dr. Mirna Carranza, Associate Professor, Social Sciences and School of Social Work Dr. Karen Balcom, Associate Professor, Gender Studies and Feminist Research Dr. Amber Dean, Associate Professor, English and Cultural Studies
Equity and Inclusion Office Arig al Shaibah, AVPEI – Chair Wil Fujarczuk, Prevention Education Coordinator, SVPRO – Secretary
Students Denver Della-Vedova, MSU Rep Neha Shah, WGEN Rep Stephanie Chin, PCC Rep Sofia Palma Florido, Diversity Services Rep Emunah Woolf, Maccess Rep Darya Vorobyova, Varsity Leadership Committee Representative Sarah Lade, GSA Rep Melise Ouellete, GSA Rep (delegate) Sharon Lim, Undergraduate Peer Educator (SVPRO) Jasmine Dzerounian, Graduate Peer Educator (SVPRO) Renee McIntosh, MSU Human Resources Generalist & Clubs Support
Staff Rosanne Kent, SWC Shylo Elmayan, ISS Chris Eley, Residence Life Michele Corbeil, SSC – Orientation and Transition Kaitlin Kellogg, SSCMO Courtney Livesey, HRS ELR Deb Garland, HRS OD Glenn DeCaire, Security Services Andrea Cole, Graduate Studies Karen Sutton, UNIFOR 555 Women’s Advocate Laurie Sherry-Kirk, CUPE 3906 (TAs) Equity Officer Carolyn Brendon, University Ombuds
Faculty Dr. Anne Niec, Professor Pediatrics & Faculty Lead, Professionalism Office, Health Science Dr. Ana Campos, MUFA Special Enquiries and Grievances Dr. Mirna Carranza, Associate Professor, Social Sciences and School of Social Work Dr. Karen Balcom, Associate Professor, Gender Studies and Feminist Research
Goal: The purpose of the Campus Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Strategy is to support the development of personal capabilities, establishment of organizational structures, and promotion of cultural norms to enhance individual, institutional, and community capacity for effective campus sexual violence prevention and response.
Objectives: An annual strategic Action Plan will address two interrelated objectives: to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based sexual violence prevention education programs which are tailored to different campus community audiences and contexts; and to develop, implement, and evaluate sexual violence policy response tools which are adherent to best practices in a post-secondary context.