UBCO students are frustrated with the lack of transparency and communication regarding the recent news that a psychology professor was placed under regulatory supervision due to sa国际传媒渂oundary issuessa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒渟exual harassment.sa国际传媒�
Brie Welton is the coordinating editor at The Phoenix, UBCOsa国际传媒檚 campus newspaper. Welton said she has been talking with students over the past few days since the news of professor Dr. Stephen Portersa国际传媒檚 regulatory supervision was released, and students are beginning to worry since an official statement has not yet been released from the university.
According to a statement issued by the College of Psychologists, Porter was placed under regulatory supervision for 18 months, with a particular focus on boundary issues, power differentials, sexual harassment, professionalism and doing no harm.
sa国际传媒淪ome people knew rumours, but since theresa国际传媒檚 been no official statement from UBC, everyonesa国际传媒檚 been in the dark,sa国际传媒� said Welton.
UBCO implemented a sexual assault and sexual misconduct policy (Policy 131) last May and then in December hired a director to open a sexual assault and prevention office. That office is located in a building that houses student support services.
However, students say there has been little information released about the officesa国际传媒檚 location or that it was even open.
Jaclyn Salter, who is a coordinator at the universitysa国际传媒檚 Womensa国际传媒檚 Resource Centre and a student, said she hadnsa国际传媒檛 received an official announcement that the office was open, nor that a director had been hired. She only had a rough timeline of the events which she called sa国际传媒渇rustrating.sa国际传媒�
Welton has also spoken with students who say they were unaware that Porter was placed under supervision or that a sexual assault and prevention office is open on campus.
sa国际传媒淚 talked to a student yesterday who said sa国际传媒業sa国际传媒檓 surprised this is still happening,sa国际传媒� especially since UBC made a big deal about last year and then had an external organization come in and ask Porter to step aside and then still make no comments. Students arensa国际传媒檛 happy with the procedure and theresa国际传媒檚 a lot of unanswered questions,sa国际传媒� she said.
Related: UBCO creates offices to address sexual assault
Welton was unaware of the officesa国际传媒檚 opening until Wednesday.
sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 been no advertising, no one knows about it, itsa国际传媒檚 hidden in the bottom of one of the residence buildings and Isa国际传媒檓 not entirely sure which building it is,sa国际传媒� she said.
She was also not impressed with the lack of response from UBC or the universitysa国际传媒檚 student union.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 really looking for a public statement, if not from UBC itself, at least from its student union. As our student union, itsa国际传媒檚 who we turn to in situations like this, silence from them is almost worse than silence from UBC.sa国际传媒�
Student Union of UBC Okanagan president Trophy Eliwa said a statement about the incident would be issued Thursday afternoon (past press deadline) and there has been delays in releasing a statement because UBCO has not released more information to the union.
sa国际传媒淥n a personal note, sexual assault, especially being in a position of power, should not be an excuse for wrong to happen,sa国际传媒� said Eliwa. sa国际传媒淚 think it would be best if the student union would be more proactive in highlighting the services we have to prevent thatsa国际传媒� the sexual assault prevention office I did not know aboutsa国际传媒� Itsa国际传媒檚 not easy to come out and have the confidence to go out and report the incidents that are there.sa国际传媒�
Welton said there will be an information session on , but the announcement wasnsa国际传媒檛 made until after her interview with another media outlet.
However, Sara-Jane Finlay, associate vice-president for the equity and inclusion office for UBCO, said email notifications and announcements on the universitysa国际传媒檚 website can be found regarding the sexual assault policy and prevention office.
sa国际传媒淭hroughout the time the policy has been in place, there has been clear information on where (students) can go to make disclosures and to receive assistance,sa国际传媒� she said.
A communication did go out at the beginning of the summer and in September about the policy and the office, she said. An information session was not held in December because it was during an exam period and January is Sexual Awareness Month, so raising awareness is important, said Finlay.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not the intention to hide it at all, we really want it to be something people can access and feel comfortable accessing,sa国际传媒� she said.
At the campus newspaper, Welton heard incidents first-hand with students who were potentially assaulted or harassed and didnsa国际传媒檛 know where to go.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 concerned because I talked to a lot of students who said they wouldnsa国际传媒檛 know what to do in that situation,sa国际传媒� she said
Porter is not allowed to supervise students, researchers, and volunteers and must provide letters of apology to unnamed complainants.
According to UBCO, Porter sa国际传媒渉as agreed to step aside from his teaching duties. He will continue to be engaged in his other academic responsibilities.sa国际传媒�
And sa国际传媒渇or privacy reasons, we cannot further discuss the details of individual personnel matters.sa国际传媒�
The details of the incident or incidents have not been released by UBCO. On UBCOsa国际传媒檚 website, Portersa国际传媒檚 list of teaching includes forensic psychology, psychopathy, violence and personality theory.
Porter did not return Capital News requests for comment that were made through email and phone calls.
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