Response & Resolution

Response & Resolution supports students, faculty and staff in addressing concerns involving student behaviour, wellbeing, health and safety and community impact.

Our work includes:

Student Conduct: addressing concerns involving alleged non-academic misconduct under the Student Non-Academic Misconduct Policy. This includes resolving concerns through advisements, voluntary resolutions and investigations when needed, or supporting departments with early intervention.

Incident Response and Community Coordination: providing consultation, guidance and coordinated responses to complex student situations where the appropriate response may not be immediately clear.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to contact Response & Resolution for consultation and support in responding to student concerns and can learn more on the Student Behaviour & Response SharePoint.

If you would like to report a concern, request a consultation, seek guidance or learn more about the Student Non-Academic Misconduct Policy and Response & Resolution services, please contact our office at oslreports@uvic.ca.

If you are unsure whether your concern falls within our area, we encourage you to contact us and we will help determine the most appropriate next steps.

If you are reporting a concern, please try to include the following information in your email:

• Description of the incident/concern
• Date and time of incident
• What action (if any) has happened to-date
• What response you are hoping to see

Our office will review your concerns to determine the appropriate next steps. Our next steps might include requesting more information, suggesting a referral, connecting to resources or consulting with other offices.

Reporting other concerns:

• Immediate safety concerns, violence or threatening behaviour should be immediately reported to the police and Campus Security at 250-721-7599. If the situation is urgent or criminal, immediately call 9-1-1.
• If you choose to report an incident of sexualized violence, reports can be made to the Sexualized Violence Resource Office
• Discrimination, harassment or human rights concerns can be reported to the Equity & Human Rights Office
• Academic misconduct or integrity concerns should be reported in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy available in the academic calendar
• Off-campus conduct can be reported to your local police department

Response & Resolution uses different approaches depending on the nature of the concern, the level of risk or harm involved and available information.

Some concerns are addressed through consultation, guidance, or coordination with university partners, while concerns involving alleged non-academic misconduct may be addressed through an advisement of community expectations, voluntary resolution or a formal investigation process.

Non-academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, where a student engages in any of the following types of conduct on university premises or in connection with a university activity:

• Theft, damage or destruction of property
• Unauthorized entry or presence on university premises
• Fraud or impersonation
• Disruptive behaviour that impacts the well-being of self or others
• Dangerous behaviour that risks, or results in harm to, the health or safety of any person
• Manufacturing, sale, or distribution of substances, including illegal drugs or prescription drugs, or alcohol, for substantial personal benefit
• Other activities that result in administrative penalty, criminal charges, conviction or a court judgment

Typically, you will have received a letter if our office has reviewed a report about an alleged conduct concern that may involve you. The letter will provide information about the reported concern and the nature of our team’s response under the policy.

In some instances, a letter may be an advisement communicating relevant university expectations and policies for your information. In other cases, a letter may contain a meeting request when we believe it is important to discuss the alleged concerns with you and when further steps may be necessary to successfully resolve them.

If you receive a letter and have questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact us.

We facilitate connections between students and support resources to help manage the practical and emotional impacts of participating in a resolution process. A Student Support Coordinator (SSC) can be paired to work with students throughout each step of the process and can assist with making an individualized support plan. Students are also welcome to have family, friends and other individuals provide support throughout a resolution process.

For students looking for additional advice or support related to a student conduct process, the university’s ombudsperson is a resource available to undergraduate and graduate students.

The OSL is committed to providing clear, transparent and procedurally fair processes when resolving allegations under the Student Non-Academic Misconduct policy.

If a student is found responsible for non-academic misconduct, they have a right to appeal the decision or the sanction applied. Appeal procedures are set out in the policy. During an appeal process, students may work with a Student Support Coordinator and can also connect with the university’s ombudsperson for independent and confidential assistance.

At any stage of a student conduct process, students are welcome to contact the OSL to raise any questions or concerns about the process. Please contact the OSL as soon as possible if you have any questions or concerns you would like to address.