Unique campaign represents polytechnic’s commitment to campus safety
In late November, staff from NAIT's office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) could be found criss-crossing campus with a cart full of treats and an urgent message to share with students and staff about creating a safer, more supportive campus.
The effort was part of “This Matters,” a campaign to raise awareness about gender-based and sexual violence (GBSV) in the NAIT community. Continuing through the day of remembrance for the 14 women murdered at Polytechnique Montréal (Dec. 6, 1989), it urged students, instructors and staff to speak out against violence, access resources, and foster a culture of respect and support.
The onset of the campaign also marked roughly a year since NAIT pledged to take specific actions to address GBSV. During a break from sharing snacks and facts with the campus community, Daley Laing, manager of the office of EDI, paused to talk to techlifetoday about the institute’s progress in addressing the issue.
What NAIT committed to and why
In fall 2023, Laing identified these seven actions for NAIT to take against GBSV:
- Establish a permanent, full-time position to help ensure NAIT’s commitment to creating a safer campus.
- Create an institutional GBSV action plan, identifying outcomes and setting timelines.
- Create and implement a comprehensive education plan, building awareness of the issue and available resources.
- Establish a centralized data system, including anonymous reporting to help guide action.
- Review and update current response processes, as GBSV policies were previously in place at NAIT.
- Establish formal supports for respondents, against whom complaints are made, presenting opportunities for growth and change.
- Establish a support guide network of educated members of the NAIT community across campus.
Laing also emphasized the pressing need to address the issue. GBSV is common in Canadian post-secondary, with more than 70% of students having witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours.
What’s more, Laing noted a desire among NAIT’s executive team that existing policies be aligned with current best practices. To do so would mean fulfilling the polytechnic’s responsibility not just to students but to broader society. NAIT is committed to preparing grads for industry, says Laing, but that work extends beyond conventional curriculum.
“We have the opportunity to build not only technical skills but also the soft skills and knowledge that contribute to safer workplaces.”
What’s been done so far
NAIT’s progress to date is, in many ways, represented by the travels of the This Matters campaign team, as well as by the hundreds of posters they hung, each featuring a QR code taking viewers to the polytechnic’s growing collection of GBSV online resources.
Included in those is the response to Action 4, the implementation of a tool where concerns and complaints can be filed, formally or anonymously. It’s a safe space to report an incident but useful also in revealing areas in need of attention. The information it collects will inform the ongoing work of Actions 2 and 3, which is the creation of action and education plans.
"Now we have data to guide us," says Laing.
“This Matters” also helps fulfill Action 7, the creation of a network across campus. This began with staff members being invited to training sessions on taking GBSV disclosures from survivors using the ARC model: acknowledge, respond with care, and connect with services. Network building continued during the campaign, when community members had the opportunity to wear T-shirts featuring that QR code.
To date, only Action 1 remains outstanding: the hiring of a full-time GBSV prevention and education specialist. The position exists; a search for a candidate is underway.
What’s still to come
As reports are filed, EDI staff envision opportunities for resolutions modelled on “restorative justice,” which would hold respondents accountable and encourage them to make amends, as per Action 6. (An investigation at NAIT does not equal a criminal proceeding.)
Research shows that restorative justice can reduce the likelihood of reoffending in cases of GBSV, as it emphasizes active participation, accountability and community involvement in addressing and resolving harm.
Laing notes that NAIT’s approach to GBSV will evolve according to need and best practice. That means Action 5, that processes be continually reviewed and updated, has no end date.
What won’t change is the goal. When EDI staff consider the impact of addressing GBSV, they look to the student who feels unsafe in the classroom and at what NAIT can do about that.
Despite the statistics, they're hopeful. They're not naive about the work that lays ahead. During This Matters, staff encountered small pockets of disinterest during their travels across campus. But they were mostly received with enthusiasm and warmth, and encouraged by it. They know this is a long-term effort, and they're committed to it.
Post-secondaries tend to be considered progressive social spaces, says Laing, which suggests they are safe and appropriate places to foster broader positive change. They're forums for conversations about which behaviours are appropriate and which aren't, and for encouraging people to speak up and speak out.
"These are protected aspects of our existence," says Laing. "So we're helping people grow and learn how to be in the world in that way."