MSVU’s Response to Sexual Violence
MSVU is committed to sexual violence prevention and providing a trauma-informed, survivor-centred response. As an MSVU student, you have the right to a campus environment that is free from sexualized violence, including sexual assault.
Sexual violence is any act targeting a person’s sexuality, gender or gender expression, whether the act is physical or psychological in nature, that is committed, threatened or attempted against a person without that person’s consent, and includes the Criminal Code offences of sexual assault, criminal harassment (stalking), indecent exposure, voyeurism and non-consensual distribution of sexual/intimate images. Sexual violence can take place through any form or means of communication (e.g. online, social media, verbal, written, visual, “hazing”, or through a third party), and includes cyber stalking.
Sexual assault means any sexual activity without consent, including kissing, fondling, touching, oral sexual contact, stealthing, or anal, vaginal or other forms of contact or penetration, without consent. Sexual assault may be committed by a person of any gender against a person of any gender, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or relationship status. Condom stealthing (the removal of a condom without the express consent of the sexual partner), is a form of non-consensual sexual contact and is Sexual Assault.
If you are a victim/survivor of sexual violence, we encourage you to speak to a specially trained member of the MSVU community, such as a member of our Counselling Services, Health Office or Campus Security teams. Whether you choose to make a formal report or not, you are entitled to receive support on campus such as safety planning, counselling, medical support, and potential accommodations to your living arrangements or academics.
Sexual harassment means unwelcome or unwanted sexual conduct or comment(s) directed at an individual when the person responsible for the conduct or comment(s) knows or ought to know that the attention is unwanted or unwelcome. Sexual harassment includes jokes or remarks of a sexual nature (such as comments on a person’s appearance, body or clothing; questions about their sexuality or sexual history); leering, ogling or sexual gestures; sexual attention (such as persistent invitations for dates); reprisal for rejecting a sexual advance; and a single sexual solicitation or advance or a series of sexual solicitations made by a person who is in a position to confer or deny a benefit on the recipient and who knows or reasonably ought to know the solicitation is unwelcome. Sexual Harassment may also consist of unwelcome remarks based on gender or gender-related religious beliefs which are not of a sexual nature but which are demeaning, such as derogatory gender-based jokes or comments. Sexual Harassment is prohibited by MSVU’s Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Policy, and all allegations of Sexual Harassment will be addressed under that Policy, not under this Policy.
Complaints can be made to the Harassment & Discrimination Advisor at respect.advisor@msvu.ca.
Relationships between MSVU employees and students: Faculty, staff and coaches are prohibited from having relationships with students when they are in (or may be in the future) a position of authority over the student or otherwise have influence over their success at MSVU. This includes student relationships with TAs. Even when the MSVU employee is not in a position of authority over the student, relationships are strongly discouraged.
MSVU Policy Against Sexual Violence (PDF)