Become a contribu tor : Wr i t e , e d i t, photograph.
the Queen’s University
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journal Volume 147, issue 1
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Monday, June 3, 2019
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Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.
since 1873
Commission strikes fund for Black medical students Group sends apology letters to families of those impacted by the 1918 ban on Black medical students Luca Dannetta Assistant News Editor Less than a year after a PhD candidate alerted the University to a 1918 policy that banned Black medical students from enrolling, a commission to address the historic wrong is taking steps to reconcile the damage. At the University’s April Senate meeting, Principal Daniel Woolf and Richard Reznick, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, issued a formal apology on behalf of Queen’s for a century-old policy which prohibited Black students from enrolling in the School of Medicine. As part of the ongoing process to reconcile the colour ban’s harmful effects, the Faculty of Health Sciences established a Commission on Black Medical Students (CBMS) to generate recommendations for how the University should extend its apology beyond a symbolic gesture. Edward Thomas, who’s now the associate director of the McDonald Institute, was the one who first brought attention to the policy
Commission seeks reconcilation for Black medical students.
that initiated the ban. With his help, the Commission generated a list of families whose relatives were affected by the ban. After contacting these families, the Commission began to send out letters of apologies. The first letter was delivered to the family of Dr. Ethelbert Bartholomew, a Black student whose medical career was halted abruptly by the ban in 1918. The Commission has also developed
GRAPHIC BY AMELIA RANKINE
curricular content designed to educate medical students about the historic and continuing effects of the ban. In an email to The Journal, Dr. Mala Joneja, chair of the Commission, confirmed this process has been completed and the curricular content will be introduced this fall. The Commission will also provide financial support for Black medical students. According to Joneja, the Medicine Admission Award for Black Canadians has
Board of Trustees approves new draft of sexual violence policy The Journal breaks down the policy’s major potential changes C arolyn S vonkin Assistant News Editor On April 17, the Board of Trustees approved a new draft of the University’s sexual violence policy, marking its first revision since its implementation in 2016. The scope of the revisions are wide, ranging from altered definitions to complete overhauls of protocol. The Journal reached out to Barb Lotan, Queen’s sexual violence prevention and response coordinator (SVPRC), but she was unavailable for comment on the proposed changes. Notably, the draft policy would usher in changes surrounding the confidentiality of complainants. The current policy states the University “recognizes that disclosures are often made in confidence, and that the student may have an expectation of confidentiality.” The person to whom a disclosure is made may consult with the SVPRC for advice, but it is
not mandated to do so. If implemented, the amended policy would require university employees who are not health care providers to “immediately notify” the SVPRC and “answer the SVPRC’s inquiries about the disclosure.” The way the University will handle complaints could also change. Under the draft policy, a respondent must be a member of the University at the time a complaint is filed. A new clause titled ‘Alternative Resolutions’ stipulates the University “can informally resolve a complaint, with or without the agreement of the complainant, in circumstances in which it considers such a resolution appropriate.” No examples of circumstances where this clause may be used are offered. Hearing procedures are now outlined more specifically in the draft policy. The conductor of the hearing has been changed from a student conduct panel to the vice-provost, dean of student affairs, or an “unbiased and trained member of the University Community” chosen by the vice-provost or dean. The draft policy would also tighten appeal guidelines. A written appeal must now be submitted
within 10 days of an adjudicator’s decision. Additionally, the policy specifies appeals wouldn’t be re-litigated through hearings, and a respondent must prove either the procedure the adjudicator used was unfair or the decision was unreasonable based on evidence. The policy would also expand the definition of sexual harassment. Whereas the current policy requires “a course of actions” for a complaint to qualify as an allegation of sexual harassment, the draft policy would allow single incidents to be considered sexual harassment. The listed examples of behaviours qualifying as sexual harassment now include the “implied or expressed” promise of benefits or advancement in return for sexual favours, as well as threats of reprisals for rejecting unwanted advances. The draft policy also shifts the responsibility to address anonymous complaints from the SVPRC to Campus Security Emergency Services. In 2016, the Ontario government mandated post-secondary institutions to implement sexual violence policies and amend them every three years. See Draft Policy on page 3
been fully established. Financial support up to $50,000 will be available to students admitted in 2019. Financial support from this fund will be awarded to Black Canadians on the basis of demonstrated financial need and academic achievement. The Commission additionally promised to establish a permanent exhibit in the School of Medicine’s atrium to depict the history of the ban and its effects. Joneja said that preparation for the exhibit would be ongoing over the 2019-2020 academic year. “The exhibit is important as it will be a display of remembrance and acknowledgement of the students affected by the ban, and will serve as an additional touchpoint for our current students who will now learn about the ban as part of their curriculum,” she said. Joneja is hopeful the Commission’s work will help acknowledge this and other racist parts of the University’s history, by educating future students and creating a more supportive and inclusive environment for medical educations. “If the Commission is successful, the future of Queen’s School of Medicine will be that of increased diversity and an inclusive learning environment, with an increased number of Black medical students and faculty,” she said.
Student groups take Ontario to court over Student Choice Initiative In court documents obtained by The Journal, CFS-O says Minister Fullerton “acted unlawfully” on Student Choice Initiative directives Raechel Huizinga and Iain Sherriff-Scott Journal Staff
This article first appeared online on May 29. On May 24, the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFS-O) filed an application for Judicial Review at the Superior Court seeking to quash the Ford government’s proposed Student Choice Initiative (SCI). Announced in January, the SCI would make most post-secondary student fees non-essential and give students the choice to opt out of them. A narrow slate of fees the province deems “essential” would remain See Ford on page 3
IN THIS ISSUE: The history of Greek life at Queen’s, p. 5. Agnes exhibit tackles sexual norms, p. 8. Rugby player overcomes concussions, p. 10. The ultimate indie summer playlist, p. 12 queensjournal.ca
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