While the Council Chamber is being repaired, the council meetings are taking place at various other locations around Victoria’s campus. Last Monday (March 25), the council had its second meeting of the year on the 12th floor of Rutherford House. Perhaps most notably in the public part of the meeting, the council approved a new sexual harassment prevention policy, which applies to both staff and students. , Individuals can make either a disclosure or a formal complaint, under the new policy. This includes the option for an anonymous disclosure or whether they want the incident noted but no action to be taken) . The policy adopts a victim-centered approach, which gives autonomy to the victim to decide the process they want to undertake. The policy is currently open for consultation, so it would be great to get as much student input as possible.
You can view the policy here: https://www.victoria.ac.nz/students/get-involved/have-your-say/sexual-harassment-prevention-draft-policy
You can send your submission to: policy-help@vuw.ac.nz
There will also be students forums that you can attend. Check out the website for the dates and venues at Kelburn, Pipitea, and Te Aro campuses.
The name change discussion is a constant item of discussion at the council table. Unfortunately, due to commercial sensitivities, most of the information is confidential. Hopefully we can update you promptly on the name change decision, but rest assured, we are constantly aiming to ensure that students and their opinions are given appropriate weight as primary stakeholders. We are also focussed on how the university can heal and be unified going forward.
Please get in touch with us if you have any ideas or questions! The best way to contact us is via email—isabella.lenihan.ikin@gmail.com or hugo.lawrence@hotmail.com