Table of Contents

In This Report 2 Introduction 3 Mandate and Structure 3 How the Office Works 4

Feedback from Students and Employees 5 Survey Results: Ombuds Annual Report 2017 - 2018 6 Statistics and Trends 7 Working with Students: Highlights and Trends 15

Profile of Students Using the Service 15 Cases Recieved By the Ombuds Office 15 College Response to Recommendations 2017 – 2018 16 Trends and Recommendations 2018 - 2019 17 Informal Recommendations Submitted 17 Breaches of Student Code of Conduct 17 Human Rights: Harassment & Discrimination 18 Recommendations 2018 - 2019 18 Conclusion 19 Appreciation 20 Appendix - Ombuds Brochure “THE OMBUDS OFFICE: HELPING STUDENTS” 21

1 In This Report

I am pleased to submit the Annual Report of the Ombuds Office for 2018 - 2019. This report is prepared to assist the College community in understanding the work and activities of the Ombuds Office and to provide recommendations that contribute to system-wide improvements. During the reporting period, September 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019 the Ombudsperson was contacted by 137 students, 5 parents/ family members and 39 faculty/staff for a total of 181 cases.

This report presents a brief overview of the history of the Ombuds Office, the Terms of Reference for the Ombudsperson and the role of the Ombuds Advisory Committee. Within the report, details and background data along with statistics are provided on the clients served and their presenting issues. Key trends in the types of issues that students have brought forward are analyzed to identify obstacles to student success and systemic recommendations are submitted to address these.

The nature of post-secondary education in today’s world has resulted in new challenges and demands where students raise questions regarding our ability and willingness to better respond to their needs and concerns. Last year’s initial trend where students came forward with human rights based issues has continued into this year’s report where student harassment and allegations of discrimination are the central themes. It is hoped that the recommendations will address these issues in ways that will meaningfully improve our students’ well-being, satisfaction, engagement and their success at College.

12 Introduction

The 2018/2019 academic year was greeted with enthusiasm to welcome our new College President, Kathleen Lynch. This signaled a new beginning to mend the harmful eff ects of a 5 week academic strike during the previous year (2017/2018). It presented as an incoming year that was fi lled with hope and promise for the college-wide community to collec vely reset and rebuild rela ons. For the most part, this has been achieved through opening doors and encouraging honest communica on and greater collabora ons. In keeping with this endeavour, the Ombuds Offi ce also extended its outreach ac vi es with commi ees, departments and academic programs. This in itself resulted in a greater number of collabora ons arising from faculty and staff to the Ombuds Offi ce – 39 in total as compared to 14 from the previous year. Greater two-way communica on led to more informal recommenda ons and more mely responses by the College to address these. Unfortunately within specifi c programs, strike-related issues con nued to be problema c and impact some students. They ques oned the commitment by the College towards their educa on which they felt had become compromised. The College stepped up and made great eff orts to respond with care and concern, and keeping students’ best interest in mind, sought out op ons for them to succeed. Mandate and Structure The Ombuds Offi ce func ons within the College understands the role the Offi ce can play in preparing them structure as an independent service for students and a to present their case while not ac ng as an advocate. resource for faculty and staff . Terms of Reference for the The Ombuds Advisory Commi ee facilitates and guides Ombudsperson (revised 02/2019) set out the jurisdic on the work of the Ombudsperson. Terms of Reference and structure of the Ombuds Offi ce and the mandate, for the Ombuds Commi ee was fi nalized in November scope and responsibili es of the Ombudsperson. The 2018. The most current Ombuds Annual report is Ombuds Offi ce is jointly funded by the College and the posted on the main page of the Ombuds website with Student Union of Confedera on College Inc. (SUCCI). all previous annual reports and the College responses to The Offi ce is a safe space where current, prospec ve these reports are located in the sec on, Ombuds Reports and former students can speak openly and confi den ally Historical. (See Annual Reports of the Ombudsperson.) regarding their educa on concerns or their experience The Ombuds Offi ce abides by the Standards of Prac ce at College. Students receive assistance with resolving of the Associa on of Canadian College and University academic or non-academic problems/concerns at the Ombudspersons (ACCUO) and the Statement of Ethical lowest possible level. The Ombuds ac vely searches for Principles of the Forum of Canadian Ombudsman. The answers to any per nent ques ons and advises students unique characteris cs and principles of the Ombuds on their rights and responsibili es. The Offi ce works to Offi ce are confi den ality, independence, informality and inform and empower students to pursue resolu on of impar ality. their complaints. The Ombuds ensures that the student

3 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2018 - 2019 How The Office Works

• Increasing Awareness and Promo ng the Ombuds Service: • Outreach and Collabora on: Member of the Sexual the Ombuds website, overhead monitors, student Assault/Sexual Violence Commi ee (SASV) and the SASV handbook and employee orienta on manual, orienta on Student Approach Sub-Commi ee, Managers’ Mee ngs ac vi es, brochures and posters, College and Community and the Ombuds Advisory Commi ee. New this year, a Connec on Fairs and ar cle submission for Student and member of Student Success Planning Week and Academic Staff News e.g. ‘Interview with the Ombudsperson’ and Council where the Ombuds was invited to par cipate in ‘The Ombuds Offi ce Helps Students’. an ex-offi cio capacity. Input and feedback were provided • Helping Students: make sense of their concerns and into the redacted Academic Appeal Policy (formerly the make their concerns known, consider other perspec ves, Academic Dispute Resolu on Policy), Sugges ons and obtain informa on and impar al feedback, explore their Prac ces to Deter Chea ng during Tests and Exams (a op ons, receive referral, understand administra ve dra resource for faculty) and the crea on of a Student processes, be prepared to put their best case forward, Food Services Commi ee. overcome obstacles, and receive coaching on managing • Student Educa on: All-day workshops on Basic Confl ict confl ict and self-advocacy. Resolu on (17/11/18 and 26/01/19) and Advanced • Improving the System: Collated feedback and summary Confl ict Resolu on (23/03/19) for 32 students and data on trends, pa erns and emergent issues shared with included in their non-academic transcript. ‘Nanosecond College members. Mee ngs were held with the following: Problem Solving’ was sent to all students. Deans, Coordinators, Student Success Staff , Senior Team • Professional Development: Gaa-izhi-izhitwaawaad and Advisory College Council. The Ombuds role supports Anishinaabeg: Culturally Responsive Teaching and respec ul dialogue and fair processes both academic and Learning Conference held in Fort Frances; and the administra ve in nature to create mutual understanding Associa on of College and University Ombudspersons and resolve diff erences. Mid-Year Mee ng and Annual Conference in Toronto. • Assis ng the College Community: One-on-one informal Internal off erings included Welcome Back; Words Ma er; discussion on how to ensure fairness and integrity in Confedera on Day; Incorpora ng Student Experience decision-making, addi onal resources and referral into Flexible Professional Learning; and Special Guest to other services both on and off campus to develop Speaker Tanya Talaga an award-winning journalist, CBC confl ict resolu on skills and follow the principles of Massey Lecturer and author of the na onal bestseller, administra ve/procedural fairness. Seven Fallen Feathers.

Confederation College 4 Feedback From Students & Employees

Thank you for everything! Your input, support and insight to all of this has been amazing. I can confidently say that this experience has been life changing in the best way.

Kim helped me see the other side as well. I really enjoyed speaking with the Ombudsperson, pleasant. I am pleased we were able to come to an understanding and solve our issue fairly.

I have learned the importance of communication and finding common ground and it gave me new insights.

I learned about myself and how I handle conflict.

Principles Of The Ombuds Office • Confidential • Impartial • Independent • Informal

5 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2018 - 2019 Survey Results: Ombuds Annual Report 2017 - 2018

The 2017 – 2018 Ombuds Annual Report included Comment Submitted: for the first time a survey of its readership. I was interested in longer term trends, not just over last year; great report and easy reading Q1: Was the Annual Report helpful in learning more about Confederation College, our student issues Ombuds Response: and how the Ombuds Office responds to them? Based on the above comment, long term trends have been ear-marked in this report and are further Survey Responses: 100% stated very helpful expanded upon. Trends are now included in several sec ons of the report including: Q2: What sections of the Annual Report did you find Sta s cs and Trends (refer to the comment sec on), most useful/valuable? Working With Students: Highlights and Trends, and Trends and Recommenda ons 2018 - 2019. Survey Responses: Compara ve stats and recommenda ons, trends, Ombuds Thanks Respondents: sta s cs and College response to previous I wish to thank the 7 individuals who took the me recommenda ons, all sec ons including “How the to respond, ask ques ons and provide valuable Offi ce Works”, sta s cs around the concerns the sugges ons. Your comments were both posi ve and Ombudsperson is hearing, recommenda ons helpful in the prepara on of this annual report.

Ombuds Response to the 2017 – 2018 Ombuds Annual Report Survey

Question Submitted: I am interested to know how we compare to other Colleges in the north, our size in Ontario

Ombuds Response: There are no other Colleges in Northern Ontario that have an Ombuds Offi ce. Other Colleges who have an Ombuds Offi ce are: Algonquin College (O awa), Fanshawe College (London), Seneca College (Toronto), St. Clair College (Windsor), Dawson College (Montreal) and Vancouver Community College.

Confederation College Statistics and Trends

Note: The statistics are based on the experience of 137 students who utilized the Ombuds service. These represent 3.7% of the student population. Special thanks to Peter Isosaari for his assistance in the development of these graphs

The trend in student numbers has consistently been lower in the Fall Semester (September to December) with higher numbers in the Winter Semester (January to April). The only year that this did not occur was 2017 - 2018 as the Fall Semester extended well into January 2018 due to the strike by faculty in the Fall of 2017. This resulted in a spike in numbers during the Fall Semester with concerns related to the strike and its poten al eff ect on the students’ academic year.

Students ranging in age from 21 to 30 years comprise 68% of the students seen by the Ombuds; and demonstrates that this group accesses the Ombuds service to a much greater degree than the remaining age groups which together account for only 34% of students who contacted the Ombudsperson for assistance.

Three academic years over a 10 year span are depicted to demonstrate the trend in the age of students seeking help from the Ombuds Offi ce. Students in the youngest age group and mature students ages 31 and over have decreased: those under age 21 by 42%, ages 31 to 35 by 53% and over age 35 by 43%. In contrast the middle age groupings have escalated over this 10 year period e.g. those age 21 to 25 increased by 65% and ages 26 to 30 increased by 42%. This coincides with the increased number of Interna onal students seen whose ages fall within these categories.

7 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2018 - 2019 This graph depicts the majority of students who access the Ombuds service have been referred by a fellow student. The category with the second highest percentage of referrals comes from staff with faculty referrals in third place and lastly promo on e.g. Ombuds brochure, business cards, posters / pull-ups, student fairs, student orienta ons, in-class presenta ons and updates posted on the Student News. In the ‘Other’ category, a family member referred the student to the Ombuds Offi ce.

The number of student referrals to the Ombuds Offi ce stemming from faculty decreased by 23% this year. In contrast, the number of staff referring students to the Ombudsperson increased by 29%. These referrals originated from staff in the Student Success Centre, SUCCI, the Registrar’s Offi ce, Admissions, Accessibility, Counselling, the Library and the Hub.

Email has taken fi rst place as the most u lized form of ini al contact with the Ombudsperson by a student. Over a 5 year period, email has replaced drop-ins by students as their main form of outreach / access to the Ombuds service. Two students accessed the Ombuds service via the assistance request web-form, Need Help on the Ombuds website.

Confederation College Statistics and Trends This category includes all contacts made with the Ombudsperson both to and from students, faculty and staff throughout the resolu on process. The graph depicts that in 70% of case there were 9 or fewer contacts made. In comparison to last year, 16% of cases experienced greater than 10 contacts as compared to 30% this year. In these instances, the seriousness of the issue is much greater and is o en more complex with several par es involved and may be complicated with intersec ng issues.

Both the ‘1 to 2 week’ and ‘3 to 4 Week’ categories decreased by a combined 63% this year. However, the ‘5 to 8 Week’ category increased by 79%. There were 2 cases that extended beyond the 8 weeks of Ombuds involvement. This data correlates to the above graph which depicts a greater number of contacts that was required during this academic year.

Of the 137 students seen by the Ombuds Offi ce, 60 concerns were academic in nature. The chart shows the number and percentages of students from these academic areas: Health, Negahneewin and Community Services; Business, Hospitality and Media Arts; and Engineering, Technology and Trades. Although Avia on is part of the School of Engineering, Technology and Trades, their numbers are presented separately.

9 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2017 - 2018 The vast majority of concerns each year do not involve a specifi c employee. However in some situa ons, students may connect or associate their concern as being directly linked to a specifi c individual. Part me faculty experienced the greatest percentage of concerns followed closely by full me faculty. Students who expressed concerns with other students came in 3rd place followed by external issues which ed with concerns directed at staff in last place.

This graph depicts the changing numbers over a 3 year period for those concerns that were specifi cally associated with a College employee and other students. Over this me period, the number of concerns with full me faculty has decreased by 39% and with part me faculty by 36%. Alterna vely the numbers of concerns involving staff have increased by 83% and those from other students by 63%.

This graph depicts the number of students in each academic school seen for academic purposes. Although Avia on programs are in the School of Avia on, Engineering, Technology and Trades, their data is presented separately. Regional and distance educa on numbers are included in the respec ve academic school with all the concerns academic in nature. The number of students seen by the Ombudsperson represents 3.7% of the student popula on.

Confederation College Statistics and Trends

Course Management 19 (32%): Although this category has Accommoda on 7 (12%): This category is similar to last remained in fi rst place for the last 3 years, it experienced a year and includes accommoda ons for being homeless, decrease in the number of concerns both this year and last having a death or wedding in the family, individual tes ng year e.g. labs unavailable un l mid-semester, late or non- accommoda on prac ces. return of tests/assignments, making evalua ve weigh ng Academic Integrity 5 (8%): Students breaching academic changes, faculty exper se, inability to review the fi nal exam integrity range in numbers from 1 to 5 each year e.g. chea ng from the previous semester with the instructor, accessibility on a test or exam, copying assignments, plagiarism including of pre-requisite informa on for the upcoming semester. group work. Grade Issues 14 (23%): Grade issues decreased by 36% Communica on 4 (7%): This category experienced a this year a er increasing by 36% in the previous year. 67% reduc on in concerns since last year e.g. respec ul Concerns included program changes and a variety of communica on, breach of confi den ality, delayed responses grading prac ces e.g. grading a endance, lack of a mid- to emails and phone calls, meliness of follow-up. term evalua on; lab assignments not marked in situa ons where the student was late for lab and group work. Placement 2 (3%): This category had a decrease in the number of concerns by 67% this year. Issues included e.g. placement Program Improvement 8 (13%): This category moved up from interrupted, lack of informa on on agency expecta ons. last place to 3rd this year, seeing a 75% increase in students coming forward with sugges ons e.g. reduce classsize, Program Rules/ Requirements 1 (2%): This category con nues increase focus on improving inter-cultural rela ons, reduce or to experience low numbers. eliminate scheduling changes for classes, labs and workshops.

11 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2017 - 2018 Types of assistance provided: Financial Issues 9 (12%): This category had the lowest percentage of concerns over the last 5 years and included Interpersonal 37 (48%): The number of concerns emergency funding, OSAP, residence fees, customized increased by 30% over last year. Of note are 2 themes: payment plans. how the individual could improve their communica on as means of confl ict preven on and once in a confl ict, Ancillary Services 7 (9%): This is a new category added this how to resolve it. In comparison, the numbers over the year as there were several concerns that were brought to previous 8 years ranged from 9 to 26 e.g. the rela onship light including cafeteria, residence, bookstore and parking. between one’s personal/professional life, mul -factor life External Issues 6 (8%): Concerns included busing and stressors, fractured rela onships, self-confi dence and me landlord issues e.g. breaking a lease, promised services not management. received, disrepair of home or apartment. Code of Conduct 12 (16%): This category increased by Registrar’s Offi ce 4 (5%): The numbers of concerns remain 33% this year and 50% in the previous year and includes low for the 5th year in a row. Most concerns centred on complaints against faculty, staff and other students e.g. withdrawal or tui on and ques oning other fees. discrimina on (students expressed that they were treated diff erently than others or were stereotyped), student- Communica on 2 (2%): Although this number has doubled to-student harassment/discrimina on, inappropriate from the previous year’s report, the number of issues have behaviours or communica ons. remained consistently low for three years in a row e.g. confi den ality, receiving incorrect informa on, respec ul communica on.

Confederation College Statistics and Trends

Types of Assistance Provided: • Interven on is provided with the student’s permission to follow-up and assist in some way to resolve the • Advice/Informa on includes discussing policies and concern. Depending on the par cular situa on, procedures, helping a student understand a decision, one or more forms of interven on may be u lized. reframing a situa on, iden fying op ons for a resolu on, Interven on methods include: providing guidance for a formal appeal, coaching regarding 1. Clarifying Informa on – contac ng other offi ces to communica on and self-advocacy (advising on choice of conduct informal fact fi nding/ gathering of informa on language, tone etc.) 2. Shu le Diplomacy – serve as a conduit between par es • Internal Referral is made to another service within the who cannot or are not willing to communicate directly College to facilitate a resolu on e.g. counselor, academic with each other advisor, fi nancial aid offi cer, faculty member 3. Mee ng Facilita on/Media on – serve as a neutral • External Referral is made to an agency or service outside intermediary between par es wishing to meet to discuss of the College community issues, concerns etc. and hos ng the mee ng upon •No Ac on includes the lack of needed informa on from request and with the mutual agreement of all par es a student or their failure to show for an appointment and Of the three forms of interven on, ‘clarifying informa on’ follow-up increased by 38% and ‘mee ng facilita on’ by 33%. Shu le diplomacy remained the same as the previous year at 35%.

13 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2018 - 2019 Students who withdrew their complaint did so a er speaking with the Ombudsperson. They decided not to pursue their issue once they had taken the me to refl ect, re-consider their role, the perspec ve of others, their op ons and poten al outcomes. Some students le the Ombuds Offi ce feeling be er a er being heard and arriving at a sense of closure by having someone really listen to them non- judgmentally.

This graph shows the total number of students who reached out to the Ombuds Offi ce in each of the previous 10 years, the number of students whose concern was resolved and those whose concern was not resolved to their sa sfac on. The categories not included are those where the outcome is not iden fi ed e.g. unknowns, those pending resolu on and withdrawn.

The year-to-year percentages are: 3.7% in 2015 – 2016 4.0% in 2017 – 2018 4.0% in 2016 – 2017 3.7% in 2018 – 2019

Confederation College Working With Students: Highlights and Trends

Profile of Students Using the Service: Cases Received by the Ombuds Office: • 137 students were seen (the highest number in any •Cases included: 137 students, 5 parents/family given year with last year’s high of 136) members and 39 faculty/staff for a total of 181 cases. • 89% were full m e s t u d e n t s c o m p a r e d t o 9 3 % i n t h e This is an overall increase of 13% over the previous previous year year’s total of 158 and the highest number of cases over a 10 year span. • 59% iden fi ed as male and 41% as female o This is the highest percentage of males visi ng • A total of 39 faculty and staff are provided a the offi ce in 10 years – the next highest was confi den al and neutral sounding board, and referral 41% in the 2016 – 2017 report to appropriate sources for guidance and advice • 4 students disclosed having a mental health diagnosis • Academic issues comprised 44% of cases compared as compared to 8 last year to 57% in the previous year o Prior to last year’s report, the numbers ranged o This is a decrease of 22% over last year from 3 to 5 in previous years o The highest percentage was in 2016/2017 at 75% of students seen • 1 student iden fi ed as Indigenous o The lowest percentage prior to this current o This is comparable to previous years which year was 50% in 2013/2014 ranged from 1 to 4 o The average over the last 5 years is 58% • 53 students iden fi ed as Interna onal as compared • Non-academic issues were 56% of cases compared to to 27 in 2017/2018, and 7 Interna onal students in 43% in 2017/18 and 25% in 2016/17 2016/2017 o Of these the majority consistently are in the o Interna onal students comprise 39% of all ‘interpersonal’ category the students who contacted the Ombuds Offi ce o The majority of issues in the ‘interpersonal’ this year and represents a 49% increase over category focused on ways to prevent and/ or last year manage confl ict in students’ lives o Interna onal students also increased in the o 12 human rights issues (7 issues of previous year by 74% discrimina on and 5 regarding student-to- • 71% of students contacted one or more staff or student harassment) were received compared faculty to resolve their concern prior to contac ng to a total of 5 human rights issues last year the Ombuds Offi ce compared to 73% in the previous year o Of these students, 18% reached out at the Dean level as compared to 12% in the previous year

15 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2018 -2019 Confederation College Reponds to the Ombuds Report Recommendations 2017 - 2018 Prepared by Kathleen Lynch, President, Confederation College

Recommendation 1.i: It is recommended that a package of educa onal aides in a variety of formats be made accessible to students to help them understand the principles of academic integrity. Recommendation 1.ii: It is recommended that resources be developed for faculty on how to handle a suspected academic viola on; and how best to deal with student reports of academic dishonesty by a classmate.

Response: The College will implement recommenda ons 1.i and 1.ii by providing clear informa on to faculty regarding managing academic integrity in a way which avoids opportuni es for academic dishonesty. The College will work with the student union on the Student Handbook informa on regarding the informa on on Academic Integrity and provide clearer defi ni ons regarding academic integrity and the process for repor ng suspected academic dishonesty.

Recommendation 2.i: It is recommended that the College facilitate conversa ons about the values that drive our work, connect values to priori es and decisions made on a daily basis and support and encourage employees to be resourceful and make decisions that are based on our values. Recommendation 2.ii: It is recommended that wherever there is doubt or ambiguity regarding any provision in a policy or procedure, the interpreta on appearing most equitable or most consistent with the values of the College shall be applied. (This duty of care principle to act in the best interest of the student can be imbedded in all College policies.) Response: The recommenda ons provided by the Ombuds in 2.i and 2.ii are related to college values and employee prac ce related to these values. The College values are important to the culture and opera on of the College. Senior Team along with the Management Team and Academic Council will review our values and develop strategies and a plan to be er communicate them to all staff . This will be an ongoing process. Recommendation 2.iii: It is recommended in situa ons where a concern remains unresolved at the comple on of the Informal Process that the student be referred to the Ombuds Offi ce for assistance. Response: Recommenda on 2.iii will be implemented along with informa on regarding the op on of seeking the support of the Student Success area for students who prefer this. Recommendation 2.iv: It is recommended that the Charter of Students’ Rights and Responsibili es include the impera ve that: students have a right to take ac on to solve academic issues which they may encounter in their course work by communica ng with their faculty or seeking help through College services such as Academic Advising, Counseling or the Ombuds Offi ce. Response: Recommenda on 2.iv will be forwarded to SUCCI to be included in the Student Handbook as part of Students’ Rights and Responsibili es. The Charter of Students’ Rights and Responsibili es is an Academic Policy and will be updated to refl ect this recommenda on.

Confederation College Trends and Recommendations 2018 - 2019

Confl ict is a force that infl uences the College community • Providing students with several access points as a whole and the life experience and success of our to informa on regarding pre-requisites e.g. the students. Analysis of the background and context of knowledge that the course they are in currently is a students’ concerns and issues, and their correla ons required course for the next semester. The College is currently implemen ng a new program, Degree Works and rela onships helps to uncover indicators, themes, that will provide students with this informa on. trends and emergent condi ons. This is conducive for detec ng adversity and inequity, guiding policy, helping Trends: Breaches of the Student Code of Conduct shape strategy, exploring possibili es and formula ng Interpersonal Conflicts op ons to support the College community and its services. It lends itself to crea ng a deeper, more There has been a slow but steady increase in the percentage of concerns coming forward regarding meaningful awareness and helps us to understand the inter-personal confl icts (refer to Non-Academic eff ect of how we operate on others and to determine Concerns graph). Inter-personal confl ict has risen from where we might be er focus our a en on. 29% in 2015/2016, to 45% in both 2016/2017 and 2017/2018, and is presently at 48% of students seen Informal Recommendations Submitted for non-academic concerns. Throughout the academic year, the Ombuds provides Interpersonal rela onships account for 48% of a unique lens for College administrators on student students seen for a non-academic concern. Although concerns and contributes towards early iden fi ca on this type of concern has increased in 3 years, it is and the resolu on of concerns before they escalate. admirable that students are coming forward and The Ombudsperson also raises instances where wan ng to resolve them. They are concerned and are the resolu on process may have contravened the ac vely taking responsibility for their fractured inter- principles/process of administra ve fairness. Early personal rela onships and accountability for their recogni on of issues and their follow-up included: communica on and behaviours. In these situa ons, • Facilita ng student input into the content and students came to recognize that they were the common accessibility of food services on the main campus denominator in these situa ons and sought out help loca ons for strategies to de-escalate, manage or resolve the • Reinforcing that at the conclusion of the semester, confl ict. They also wanted assistance on how to prevent students have a right to have their assignments such issues from repea ng themselves. returned, and see their fi nal exam and receive feedback • Encouraging discussion regarding lab availability and restric ons with a view to increase accessibility and incorporate measures that support student success

17 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2018 -2019 Human Rights: Harassment and Discrimination In response to the trends presented, the The Student Code of Conduct prohibits harassment following recommendations are submitted for and discrimina on and references the Ontario Human review and consideration: Rights Code and other College policies. The percentage of students seen in regards to a breach of the Code has Recommendation 1.i risen from 9% in 2015/2016, to 12% in 2016/2017, 14% in 2017/2018 and this year’s high of 16%. Combined It is recommended that administrators receive with interpersonal confl icts, these issues make up best prac ce training on how to respond to 64% of students seen for non-academic reasons. conduct/human rights issues e.g. bullying, Students felt they were being discriminated against harassment, discrimina on, unconscious bias, or harassed by other students (including disrespec ul stereotyping etc. behaviour and communica on, and bullying) within the classroom or college-wide, and during group work Recommendation 1.ii or placement. They specifi cally iden fi ed concerns regarding discrimina on or harassment directed at It is recommended that employees are provided them by other students. with resources to augment their awareness of and competently intervene and respond Addi onally, students came forward with allega ons to frac ous interac ons/communica on, of discrimina on by employees as depicted through inter-cultural clashes, and inappropriate their behaviours and communica on. They described behaviours. scenarios where they felt that they were being treated diff erently than other students. An example is a Recommendation 1.iii student who feels that they have been stereotyped by an employee who is less than helpful or expresses It is recommended that the Complaints Policy impa ence, annoyance and condescension, or appears (Non-Academic) be updated and revised to to be intolerant. Some students felt anxious, stressed provide clearer policy guidelines. or depressed, or experienced panic a acks as a consequence of these forms of communica on and Recommendation 1.iv behaviours. Prior to mee ng with the Ombudsperson, students It is recommended that the College explore ini ally met with a College administrator about these addi onal resources and supports aligned to concerns. They described coming away disappointed protect human rights and respond to breaches both on the ac ons made to address their concerns and of human rights for all members of the College the lack of follow-up. They felt that in as much as their community. concerns had been acted upon, they could only conclude that our processes were neither eff ectual nor helpful. They described their experience at College as one tainted by dysfunc onal rela onships with other students or employees and ques oned our ability to provide a safe learning environment including appropriate follow-up when issues were raised.

Confederation College Conclusion

Fairness and respect are core values at Confederation College that enrich students’ educational experience. The Ombuds Office supports the rights and interests of students, and fair treatment throughout every aspect of their College experience. The Ombuds assists students with conflict management, conflict resolution and conflict as potentially transformative to their lives and growth.

An important facet of the Ombuds work is meeting with students who in fact, do not want to be identified and who not wish to act upon their issue. Although these students intend to remain anonymous, they enable the collection of information that might never have surfaced. The Ombuds requests their consent to gather this information along with other similar concerns and that they are brought forward in a collective format without identifying the student, their year or program. This information is critically important as it can be used to initiate a dialogue about where and how we can improve our service for the betterment of our student body.

The work of the Ombuds Office is proactive in nature by providing information on trends gleaned and by facilitating resolution on matters related to fairness through systemic means. By acting in a helping capacity versus a challenging one, Ombuds best practice utilizes a cooperative, collaborative approach. This also facilitates building trust and an appreciation of each other’s roles in serving our student body. The work of the Ombuds Office encourages, models and instills a culture of fairness and respect within the College community.

19 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2018 -2019 Appreciation

I want to express my appreciation to the President of the College, Kathleen Lynch for her foresight to extend the scope of the Ombuds outreach and collaborations within the College. I also want to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of the Ombuds Advisory Committee for their support of the work of the Ombuds Office. The members for the 2018 – 2019 year include: Vignesh Viswanathan, President of SUCCI; Lynne Savela, Executive Director of SUCCI; Leslie MacGregor, Associate Dean Learning Resources Division and Don Duclos, Registrar. (Although the committee membership includes the Vice President Academic, this position was not filled during the period of this report.)

I wish to express my gratitude for the many program administrative staff, faculty and departmental staff who responded quickly, actively explored remedies and with whom I have enjoyed deepening collaborations this past year. I would like to thank the many students who came forward with their concerns as they did so under difficult circumstances. And in closing, I want to express my thanks and appreciation to members of the College community who contributed towards students’ success either through their teaching, support or administrative roles.

Respectfully submitted, Kim Morgan, BScN, MEd, Ombudsperson

Confederation College Appendix - The Ombuds Office: Helping Students

The Ombuds Offi ce may be the fi rst place you go to talk through a situa on or the last place you reach out to for guidance through the formal appeal process. Even if you aren’t sure the Ombuds Offi ce is the right place to go, the Ombuds will put you in touch with someone who can help you.

The Ombuds Office: A Safe Place • Confi den al. No one needs to know that you came to the Ombuds Offi ce (unless you are going to harm yourself or someone else). • Informal. Seeing the Ombuds is op onal – it is your decision and totally voluntary. • Independent. Of programs and departments so the Ombuds can be – • Impar al. The Ombuds cannot advocate for you or the College but will help you advocate for yourself.

Do You Need Help With? • Breach of academic integrity • Untangling a complicated situation • Code of conduct issues • College policies and procedures • Incivility, rudeness, bullying • Disciplinary actions • Harassment or discrimination • College services e.g. parking, food, safety, • Grades, group work, assignments book store • Cultural misunderstanding • Landlord issues • Ethical dilemmas • Unprofessional conduct • Placement • Formal academic appeal What Can You Expect? Do you want help thinking through a diffi cult situa on or concern? Are you unsure of what to do, where to go or what your op ons are? Are you hesitant about approaching someone to discuss your concern? The Ombuds will help you make sense of your situa on so that you can decide on what your next steps will be. All decisions are up to you. The Ombuds will encourage you to take proac ve steps when a problem fi rst arises. Are you experiencing a diffi cult situa on, disagreement or confl ict with someone else at the college (student, faculty, staff member etc.)? Are you uncertain about whether or not to address it? Are you unsure of how to address it? Have you tried to resolve it and it didn’t work out? In a private se ng, the Ombuds will listen to your concerns, help clarify and untangle the issues, and discuss a range of op ons. The Ombuds will help you build your skills and confi dence to take steps to resolve the issue and provide coaching to help you prepare for a diffi cult conversa on.

21 The Ombuds Office Annual Report 2018 -2019 Appendix - The Ombuds Office: Helping Students

Do you need more informa on to help you understand the situa on so that you can make a more informed decision? With your permission, the Ombuds can contact program staff or other offi ces to gather more informa on about an issue. The informa on can be used to broaden your perspec ve, clear up uncertain es, increase understanding and help in genera ng addi onal op ons for resolu on. Are you nervous or worried about an upcoming mee ng with a College employee? Would you feel be er if you were accompanied by either a suppor ve friend or the Ombuds? It can be hard to think clearly and remain calm when you are in a confl ict situa on. With everyone’s agreement, the Ombuds can be a neutral third party to create the kind of space and tone that helps people share perspec ves, feel heard, and together make sense of the issues and brainstorm op ons to move things forward. The Ombuds does not speak on your behalf but is there to guide the process so that the interac on is posi ve and produc ve. Are you unable to speak directly with another person? Would it be helpful to have the Ombuds engage with a specifi c individual to share informa on back and forth? Some situa ons may be be er resolved by shu ling informa on between people who are not able to engage with one another directly (for a variety of reasons). In these situa ons, the Om- buds can meet with individuals separately and ‘shu le’ communica on back and forth. Would you like to learn more about how to prevent, manage and resolve confl ict in your life? In addi on to general outreach informa on about the service, the Ombuds off ers presenta- ons and workshops on relevant topics such as basic and advanced confl ict resolu on, how to make diffi cult conversa ons easier and improve communica on etc. Your Ombuds is Kim Morgan. You can drop by and meet with her or phone/email for an appointment. The Ombuds Offi ce is located in the Shuniah Building, Room A212. The Ombuds can also be reached by: Phone (807) 475-6209 | Toll Free 1 (800)465-5493 ex 6209 Email ombuds@confedera oncollege.ca Offi ce hours are: Monday to Wednesday 10:30am to 4pm Thursday 10:30am to 12pm noon Note: Appointments can be made at other mes if needed. For more informa on visit www.confedera oncollege.ca/ombuds-offi ce

Confederation College