Today@Dal

Members of the Task Force on Misogyny, Sexism and Homophobia in the Faculty of Dentistry recently completed their first visit to Dalhousie on February 27 and 28. The task force will return to campus on March 13-14, and again on April 13-17 and April 27-28.

During the March visit, the task force would like to hear from the community at the Faculty of Dentistry. In April the task force will have the opportunity to meet with the wider Dalhousie community to consider the broader policies and practices at Dalhousie to address the issues of misogyny, sexism and homophobia.

Constance Backhouse, a distinguished university professor and university research chair at the University of Ottawa with a long-standing background in issues of gender equality, chairs the task force. Professor Backhouse is joined by Don McRae, a professor at the University of Ottawa, and Nitya Iyer, a lawyer with expertise in human rights and professional regulation.

Input for consideration can be made in writing to: dentistrytaskforce@dal.ca and through the task force's online portal. To request a meeting, individuals may email or call 902-494-7806.  The task force is prepared to accept submissions in confidence.

The task force’s mandate is to investigate the culture, practices and policies within the Faculty of Dentistry. The task force will also consider broader policies and practices at Dalhousie; review policies, standards and practices at other Canadian universities to address the issues of misogyny, sexism and homophobia; and identify policies and practices that could be put in place to investigate anonymous complaints of harassment and discrimination. President Richard Florizone initially launched the taskforce on January 9, 2015.

For more please visit: http://www.dal.ca/cultureofrespect/task-force.html