President Kevin Hall’s statement on actions being taken to address harassment on campus
Updated: Jan. 27, 2023
I want to assure the university community—as well as those who have provided comments from further away—that we are taking action to address the discriminatory, harassing behaviour that some of our students have been experiencing on campus.
This behaviour is not—and will not—be tolerated at UVic. We’re committed to creating a campus that is safe, supportive and inclusive. When incidents like the ones raised by members of the Ukrainian Students Society occur, we as an institution need to take a hard look at how this happened and amend policies, approaches or processes that don’t align with our vision for the campus.
To this end, I have exercised my authority under UVic’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy to launch an investigation into this matter. This process is designed to identify responsible parties and support the building of a safer, more inclusive campus.
We also encourage members of our community to bring forward incidents of hate, harassment and discrimination to our Equity and Human Rights office (EQHR). EQHR will work with campus partners, including our student societies, to support the best possible outcome. Campus security also cooperates with the police to investigate reports of hate on campus, as they are criminal matters.
The impact of discriminatory, harassing behaviour can weigh heavily on all of us and there are supports for students, staff and faculty on campus who may need it.
Kevin Hall, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor
Jan. 26, 2023
Discrimination and harassment are never okay. At UVic, we work hard to prevent bullying and harassment, and to act on complaints of such behaviour promptly, fairly and judiciously.
The university is aware of complaints of harassment brought forward by the Ukrainian Students Society. While undergraduate student clubs are part of the UVSS, we have met with them to support a resolution.
We're here to support members of our community. We encourage students involved in this matter—or who are experiencing any discrimination and harassment—to reach out to the Office of Equity and Human Rights if they would like to pursue individual allegations of bullying or harassment.
Resources
Equity & Human Rights
Equity and Human Rights is a resource for all UVic community members, providing education, information, assistance and advice in aid of building and supporting an inclusive campus.
Website: uvic.ca/equity
Email: eqhr01@uvic.ca
International Centre for Students (ICS)
Contact the International Centre for Students to gain intercultural experiences, connect with the campus community and access international student support.
Website: uvic.ca/ics
Email: icsinfo@uvic.ca
Phone: +1-250-721-6361
Student Wellness Centre
The Student Wellness Centre provides holistic care, for your wellbeing emotionally, physically and spiritually. Contact us to meet with counsellors, doctors, nurses, spiritual care providers and more.
Web: uvic.ca/student-wellness
Phone: +1-250-721-8563
SupportConnect
SupportConnect is a free, confidential mental health support for UVic students. Contact us from anywhere, 24 hours/day.
Web: uvic.ca/supportconnect
Phone: +1-844-773-1427 (North America)
+1-250-999-7621 (international)
Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
EFAP is a confidential program that includes professional counselling, information and referral services.
Web: uvic.ca/efap
Phone: For telephone, e-counselling and in-person counselling call 1-844-880-9142