scholarly journals Reporting Unwanted Sexual Behaviour at a Post-Secondary Institution: Student Understandings of Campus Policy

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-242
Author(s):  
Lindsay Ostridge ◽  
Christopher D. O'Connor
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Universities And Colleges ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Campus Policy ◽  
Reporting Process ◽  
Commuter University ◽  
Post Secondary Institution ◽  
Student Input

The Ontario government recently mandated all universities and colleges in Ontario, Canada to create a sexual violence policy that involves student input. Using a small commuter university in southwestern Ontario as a case study, this article examined student perceptions of an existing university sexual violence policy. More specifically, we conducted online qualitative research with seventeen students using an open-ended inductive, exploratory instrument. We asked students to read and define aspects of their university’s sexual violence policy in their own words. The objective of this research was to examine if students adequately comprehended the language of the policy, how to report, who to report to, feel safe reporting, and whether or not they find the reporting process supportive of their needs. Also discussed are student recommendations for what they would like to see in university sexual violence policies.  

scholarly journals Where is it? Examining Post-Secondary Students' Accessibility to Policies and Resources on Sexual Violence

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-108
Author(s):  
Jacey Magnussen ◽  
Irene Shankar
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Sexual Assault Policy ◽  
Similar Legislation

Faced with a growing demand for adequate policies and programs that meaningfully address sexual violence on campus, the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba have introduced legislation requiring all post-secondary institutions to institute a sexual assault policy. The remaining provinces and territories do not have similar legislation. In absence of such legislation, using the case study of Alberta, we examined how equipped post-secondary institutions in this province are to assist students in need. Utilizing publicly available data we examined: 1) whether Alberta’s post-secondary institutions have a sexual violence policy which is readily and easily accessible to the student; and 2) the ease with which students can access university resources and support services for sexual violence. The results indicate that most institutions do not have an accessible policy and support services for students in need. We are hopeful that this study can inform those designing and advocating for sexual violence policies on campus to institute measures to clarify institutions’ sexual violence policies, increase accessibility to those policies, create policies where they are missing, and work on clarifying the availability of resources for students on and off campus.

scholarly journals “Good People with Good Intentions”: Deconstructing A Post-Secondary Institution’s Sexual Violence Policy Construction

2021 ◽  
pp. 2-16
Author(s):  
Irene Shankar ◽  
D. Scharie Tavcer
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Structural Violence ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Institutional Risk ◽  
Good People ◽  
Sexualized Violence ◽  
Post Secondary Institution ◽  
Program Construction ◽  
Integrate Research

This exploratory study investigates the bodies tasked with constructing sexual violence policies within a post-secondary institution (PSI). Our findings indicate that allocated committees prioritize institutional risk management, normalize confusion, and most members have little or no understanding of the intersectionality of violence. These findings contextualize PSI's failure to address structural violence.  Our recommendations urge PSIs to include subject experts, consult with existing service providers, and integrate research on the intersectionality of sexualized violence within their policy and program construction.

scholarly journals Where is it? Examining Post-Secondary Students' Accessibility to Policies and Resources on Sexual Violence

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-108
Author(s):  
Jacey Magnussen ◽  
Irene Shankar
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Policies And Programs ◽  
Sexual Assault Policy ◽  
Similar Legislation

Faced with a growing demand for adequate policies and programs that meaningfully address sexual violence on campus, the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba have introduced legislation requiring all post-secondary institutions to institute a sexual assault policy. The remaining provincesand territories do not have similar legislation. In absence of such legislation, using the case study of Alberta, we examined how equipped post-secondary institutions in this province are to assist students in need. Utilizing publicly available data we examined: 1) whether Alberta’s post-secondary institutions have a sexual violence policy which is readily and easily accessible to the student; and 2) the ease with which students can access university resources and support services for sexual violence. The results indicate that most institutions do not have an accessible policy and support services for students in need. We are hopeful that this study can inform those designing and advocating for sexual violence policies on campus to institute measures to clarify institutions’ sexual violence policies, increase accessibility to those policies, create policies where they are missing, and work on clarifying the availability of resources for students on and off campus.

scholarly journals Practical Measures for Institutional Program Reviews: A Case Study of a Small Post-Secondary Institution

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-71
Author(s):  
John Jayachandran ◽  
Colin Neufeldt ◽  
Elizabeth Smythe ◽  
Oliver Franke
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Program Review ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Educational Effectiveness ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Post Secondary Institution ◽  
Improving Teaching And Learning ◽  
Program Reviews

Post-secondary institutions carry out cyclical program reviews (CPRs) to assess educational effectiveness. CPRs often use both qualitative and quantitative data analyses with the aim of improving teaching and learning. Though most of the CPR review studies identify various factors for this purpose, they fail to identify measures/indicators that are relevant and practical for the institutional decision-making process. Our main objectives for this article are two-fold: first, we identify and list variables that are measurable and sort them into clusters/groups that are relevant to all programs, and second, we critically assess the relevance of these indicators to program review in a small-sized, post-secondary institution.

College Student Perceptions of Notification About Sex Offenders on Campus

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett Garland ◽  
Brian Calfano ◽  
Eric Wodahl
Keyword(s):  
College Student ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Prevention Act ◽  
Character Assessment ◽  
Student Input

Sexual victimization is a growing concern on college campuses. Although academic literature has examined the extent and perceived risk and fear of sexual assault at universities, studies focusing on college student attitudes about appropriate sex crime–related policies are severely limited. The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000 requires post-secondary institutions to provide a statement giving the campus community guidance on how to access information about registered sex offenders. Colleges and universities are afforded wide discretion regarding whether to use more direct and involved methods for notifying faculty, staff, and students. The current study examines how college students attending a Midwestern university feel about various approaches to notification about sex offenders on campus. Results indicate that impressions of vulnerability are driving some of student opinion about notification, but that other considerations, such as character assessment, privacy concerns, and feelings of uneasiness, are possibly having an impact as well. The findings also strongly support that female student input should be factored heavily into campus sex offender notification strategies.

scholarly journals Practical Measures for Institutional Program Reviews: A Case Study of a Small Post-Secondary Institution

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-71
Author(s):  
John Jayachandran ◽  
Colin Neufeldt ◽  
Elizabeth Smythe ◽  
Oliver Franke
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Program Review ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Educational Effectiveness ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Post Secondary Institution ◽  
Improving Teaching And Learning ◽  
Program Reviews

Post-secondary institutions carry out cyclical program reviews (CPRs) to assess educational effectiveness. CPRs often use both qualitative and quantitative data analyses with the aim of improving teaching and learning. Though most of the CPR review studies identify various factors for this purpose, they fail to identify measures/indicators that are relevant and practical for the institutional decision-making process. Our main objectives for this article are two-fold: first, we identify and list variables that are measurable and sort theminto clusters/groups that are relevant to all programs, and second, we critically assess the relevance of these indicators to program review in a small-sized, post-secondary institution.

CASE STUDY OF ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARD USE IN AN ENGINEERING EDUCATION GRADUATE COURSE

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Davidson ◽  
Lisa Romkey ◽  
Allison Van Beek
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Online Discussion ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Asynchronous Learning ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Online Discussion Board

Due to the increasing prevalence of asynchronous learning platforms, the development and implementation of online discussion boards have become important considerations in the design of post-secondary learning environments. This research is conducted as a case study of the online discussion board use in a small engineering education graduate course, consisting of in-class and online discussion components. By varying the structure of the online discussion board to allow different types of student interaction, the study identifies trends in discussion board use, specifically pertaining to student participation, student collaboration, and the integration between in-class and online discussions. As a result, the study provides insight into the utility and limitations of online discussion boards in post-secondary courses.  

scholarly journals Aligning accreditation and academic program reviews: a Canadian case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Bowker
Keyword(s):  
Professional Associations ◽  
Academic Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Academic Units ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Program Reviews

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the potential benefits and limitations associated with aligning accreditation and academic program reviews in post-secondary institutions, using a descriptive case study approach. Design/methodology/approach The paper describes two Canadian graduate programs that are subject to both external professional accreditation and institutional cyclical reviews, as they underwent an aligned review. The process was developed as a collaborative effort between the academic units, the professional associations and the university’s graduate-level quality assurance office. For each program, a single self-study was developed, a single review panel was constituted, and a single site visit was conducted. The merits and challenges posed by the alignment process are discussed. Findings Initial feedback from the academic units suggests that the alignment of accreditation and program reviews is perceived as reducing the burden on programs with regard to the time and effort invested by faculty, staff and other stakeholders, as well as in terms of financial expenses. Based on this feedback, along with input from reviewers and program evaluation committee members, 14 recommendations emerged for ways in which an aligned review process can be set up for success. Practical implications The results suggest that aligned reviews are not only resource-efficient but also allow reviewers to provide more holistic feedback that faculty may be more willing to engage with for program enhancement. Originality/value The present study contributes to the existing body of knowledge about conducting aligned reviews in response to external accreditation requirements or institutional needs. It summarizes the potential benefits and limitations and offers recommendations for potential best practices for carrying out aligned reviews for policymakers and practitioners.

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