I’m updating the Dalhousie community that we are not able to accept the formal complaint under the Student Code of Conduct as submitted by four faculty members on December 22, 2014.
The decision was made on January 7, 2015 by Dalhousie’s Vice-Provost, Student Affairs and shared with me. I requested legal confirmation of that advice, which I received late Friday, January 9, 2015. The university then shared the decision with the four faculty members the morning of January 10, 2015.
I sincerely appreciate the efforts of our four faculty members. I respect them for their courage to take a public stand on behalf of others. This complaint has highlighted a need for careful review of our policies to ensure we have a respectful, inclusive community.
On Friday, I launched the Task Force on Misogyny, Sexism and Homophobia in the Faculty of Dentistry, led by Professor Constance Backhouse. That Task Force will be reviewing our policies with recommendations on how they can be improved.
Richard Florizone
President, Dalhousie University
Related information: External legal opinion on admissability [PDF-122kB] (added January 11, 2015 at 2:49 p.m.)
For more: Culture of Respect website