Strengthening Post-Secondary Institutions and Students Act

Every year, thousands of students from Newmarket and Aurora go to attend universities and colleges throughout Ontario and this government is committed to ensuring these students have access to a secure and safe learning environment.

Last week, Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities, introduced a bill entitled Strengthening Post-secondary Institutions and Students Act, 2022, which would, if passed, amend the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act and the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 to help institutions better address faculty and staff sexual misconduct against students. In particular, the amendments would:

• Strengthen the tools available to institutions to address instances of faculty or staff sexual misconduct against students (i.e., deeming sexual abuse of a student to be just cause for dismissal and preventing the rehiring of employees found to have committed sexual abuse of a student);

• Prevent the use of non-disclosure agreements to address instances where an employee leaves an institution to be employed at another institution and their prior wrong-doing remains a secret; and

• Require institutions to have employee sexual misconduct policies that, at a minimum, include the institution’s rules with respect to sexual behaviour that involves employees and students of the institution and examples of disciplinary measures that may be imposed on employees who contravene the policy.

While the government has taken action to strengthen the policies that protect postsecondary students who report incidents of sexual violence or harassment on campus, we must also address acts committed by faculty and staff towards students.

That is why we’re proposing legislative amendments that would require publicly-assisted postsecondary institutions and private career colleges to have specific processes in place that address, and increase transparency of, faculty and staff sexual misconduct. 

If passed, the bill would also amend the Ryerson University Act, 1977 and the University Foundations Act, 1992 to change the name of Ryerson University to Toronto Metropolitan University, and to change the size and composition of the university’s senate.

Learn More: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1002429/ontario-supporting-safe-respectful-learning-environments-for-postsecondary-students