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Compiled & Written By Tanny Marks
Photo by Sebastian Pichler on Unsplash
VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE
Annual Report 2017
1 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
THE OFFICE IN 2017
In its 7th year, the Vancouver Community College (VCC; College) Arbiter of
Student Issues (ASI) Office saw a variety of activity and increased
engagement with the College at large. The Office, akin to an Ombuds Office,
remained a neutral and impartial party in all student centred complaints,
advocating only for systemic change and procedural fairness. Individual
student advocacy remained the province of the Students’ Union of
Vancouver Community College (SUVCC). The ASI, as in previous years,
fielded student complaints and provided consultation to non-student
constituents around issues where students were at the centre. The ASI
continued to have the ability to investigate such issues if/when required,
and to canvass informal and formal conflict resolution processes to resolve
disputes or concerns.
In 2017 the ASI saw a steep increase in work devoted to systemic barriers
with heightened engagement in policy work, committee work and
interdepartmental collaboration. The Office was leveraged frequently to
weigh-in with recommendations on multiple College processes and
protocols affecting student rights and obligations ensuring procedural
fairness.
ASI ALLIGNMENT WITH VCC As outlined in the VCC Integrated College Plan 2017 – 2018 (ICP), VCC’s Vision, Values and Key Success Drivers all provided a sound and rich environment that enabled the Office to fully discharge its mandate in 2017.
2 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
VCC VISION “VCC – The first choice for innovative, experiential learning for life” (page 16, ICP).
In 2017 the ASI was creative in its servicing; provided very practical support to students and the College; and was enabled to educate stakeholders around procedural fairness and natural justice.
VCC VALUES (page 17, ICP)
Student Success: The ASI helped to address student complaints, thereby helping to remove barriers to educational success.
Excellence: The ASI supported the College in redressing student harm, improving on systems & processes and leading best practices to strengthen the application of fairness in all transactions with students.
Diversity: The ASI has always thrived on diverse points of views, bridging disagreements and contributing to an accessible inclusive learning environment that respects differences.
Stewardship: The ASI was committed to proper use of public monies in discharging its mandate and continually looked for ways to improve efficiency and deliver on projects that assisted the Office and the College at large to maintain public confidence in the institution.
VCC KEY SUCCESS DRIVERS (page 18, ICP)
Educational Quality: The ASI persisted in building on its previous work in addressing fairness gaps in education.
Operational Excellence & Financial Stability and Sustainability: The ASI operated without support staff and with very low overhead costs; deployed a variety of ‘self-help’ materials, ‘how to’ guides and Power Point kit materials developed and maintained for students and College personnel; and provided information and advice to the College supporting the mitigation of financial risk around student issues.
Reputation Management & Business Development: The Office, by its very nature, mitigated VCC’s social risk, helping to preserve its reputation as a fair place to learn.
OPPERATONS
One person office
Open 21 hours per week/three days per week
Seated at the Broadway Campus. Servicing the three VCC Campuses: Downtown, Broadway, Annacis Island
Annacis Island Campus (AIC) servicing, having been
an issue in the past, was targeted for a Student
Development pilot servicing project in which the ASI
is taking part. The pilot, slated to end in July 2018,
has the ASI occupying office hours and providing
orientation to services one day per month in person
at AIC. The pilot aims to surface best and most
efficient deployment of student services resources for
AIC students, including those of the ASI, responding
to actual need. 2018 will result in a fleshed-out and
ongoing servicing plan for these students.
Dedicated Downtown Campus ASI office space
was also explored in 2017, hopefully to be
finalized in 2018. To this end, the ASI was
interviewed by VCC’s hired space consultants
and was able to provide a fulsome account of
office space needs to properly support students
confidentially.
3 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
REPORTING STRUCTURE
The ASI is a VCC employee. The Office remained in the same student services
division of the College in 2017. However, the division was retitled “Student
Development” and a Dean of Student Development was acquired replacing
the position of Director of Student Services. The ASI thus reported to the new
Dean, Student Development in 2017. The Arbiter of Student Issues continued
to be a College Administrator, sitting at the ‘Student Development’
Department Head table along with the Department Heads of Counselling;
Disability Services; Interpreting Services (for American Sign Language);
Assessments; Manager of Student Services, Student Services Reception and
Program Advising. The ASI thus continued to have access to the College-wide
meetings of the Deans, Directors and Department Heads.
With a refreshed understanding of student development theory infused into
student servicing, the ASI’s enduring placement in the ‘Student Development’
portfolio continued to enhance ASI work where truly complex student profiles
benefited enormously from the immediate collaboration available in Student
Development thereby strengthening the Office’s effectiveness and creating a
better student experience.
4 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
Photo by Michael Longmire on Unsplash
The Office continued to be funded exclusively
by the College in 2017.
OFFICE RESTRUCTURE
2017 saw a broad discussion among the VCC Executive Branch about potential
ASI Office restructure. The ASI along with all other Administrators at the
College engaged in an extensive ‘position questionnaire’ that was reviewed by
an outside agency. The Dean of Student Development conducted extensive
research and stakeholder consultation both inside and outside the institution
on effectiveness of the ASI, merit of the Office for the institution and its
students and parity with other Ombuds Offices in the post-secondary sector.
The move to restructure the Office took place in 2017, with intention to close
down the ASI Office and re-emerge it as the ‘Ombuds’ Office amongst a new
funding model in 2018 with VCC and the SUVCC sharing costs of the Office.
Photo by Fleur Treurniet on Unsplash
FUNDING
5 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
As the ASI is neutral & impartial,
strategizing around a student’s
case is left to the student’s SUVCC
advocate.
ASI
MA
ND
ATE
As at its inception, the ASI continued its ‘ombuds’
role at VCC with enhanced mandate allowing the
Office to serve a complex, diverse and multifaceted
College student body.
6 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
RANGE OF ASI ASSISTANCE
PATHWAYS TO FORMAL/INFORMAL
RESOLUTION
COACHING/SOBER SECOND LOOK
DEFINING ISSUES RELATIVE TO VCC
POLICY
INFORMATION & REFERRAL to OTHER
SERVICES
MEETING FACILITATION
INTERVENTIONS: FACT FINDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
Photo by Mike
Wilson on Unsplas
h
7 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
MARKETING ACTIVITY
Typical marketing activities (Office collateral i.e., pamphlets; ASI presence on internal & external College website; facilitated stakeholder and student referrals; class presentations; Office information in various College division informational materials, calendars and department student handbooks; promotion of ASI services to various divisional personnel; collaborative meetings with Students’ Union of Vancouver Community College; presence at Student ‘Welcome Carnivals’ etc.) remained the same in 2017. The ASI develops and maintains all promotional/informational materials/collateral in collaboration with VCC Marketing. As in previous years, in 2017 the ASI continued to send welcome messages to personnel newly appointed to portfolios in order to orient key decision-making stakeholders to the Office’s mandate. This is a first step to
establishing a working relationship with these newcomers; increases collaboration in resolving systemic issues; and provides an opening to discuss matters of procedural fairness with the individual and the teams they lead. The ASI similarly continued to practice appreciation and recognition of colleague and College accomplishments. Emphasising the College’s strengths is the corollary to pointing-out weaknesses and is as important to building fairness and equity into College processes as is providing recommendations on gaps. In 2017, the ASI Annual Report for 2016 was published on both the internal and external VCC website pages of the ASI.
New activity included:
Direct marketing of ASI services at Annacis Island (to faculty, staff and students);
Enhanced VCC Policy section on the ASI MyVCC website page;
ASI services promotional segment filmed through the VCC Centre for Instructional Design for deployment during faculty training and onboarding;
Presentation to all Student Development Department Heads on ASI Services, including development of Power Point kit about ASI services; and
Discussion about an overall Student Services survey with VCC Institutional Research including survey of ASI services and collaboration on how to make the survey accessible for students with disabilities.
8 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
NEW INTERNAL WEBSITE TOOL: EQUITY GLOSSARY OF TERMS FROM THE 519 AGENCY
The internal ASI MyVCC website page continues to provide students and employees with self-help tools and references to other internal and external resources.
Notably, the ASI began taking part in the larger Student Development (SD) division’s environmental scan of SD marketing needs and strategies. Once existing and needed marketing materials/outlets have been identified, the ASI alongside other SD departments will benefit from renewed efforts to properly market the Office. VCC Marketing also engaged in a collaborative marketing conversation with all SD areas (including the ASI) around VCC marketing needs and strategies afoot. A highlight of the needs going forward is new signage for the Office (that may incorporate specific ASI branding components colour, etc. into the VCC brand) at all campuses once office space is decided and secured for all campuses
outside the ASI’s home campus at Broadway. Alongside this conversation, renewed discussion around best ways to orient new students to student services was begun including talk about a fulsome onboarding program for new students that could include structured orientation to VCC services. A ‘University 101’ type of program could reduce the inefficiency of student services marketing, (including that of the ASI Office). Providing one-off orientation services to new students in response to specific program requests could thus be minimised. And catering to all 128 College programs through an onboarding program would provide consistency and reach not presently available.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
9 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
INV
ENTO
RY
Leaflet/Brochure (student as target)
Business Cards
One pager ASI services (Employee Focussed)
Student Complaint Worksheet
Student Self Help Guide
“Jeopardy” Game – Electronic
Annual Report
ASI page on external & internal College websites
Listing in the College Program Calendar
Listing in the VCC International Student Handbook
Power Point Kits
Listing in VCC Viewbook
Centre for Instructional Design Video for faculty orientation
Participation in student Welcome Carnivals
WIS
HT
LIST
Move away from ASI services tagged as 'conflict resolution' and move towards 'fairness & dispute resolution' branding
More robust external VCC ASI webpage
Universal design of materials- (brailled; American Sign Language signed; etc.)
Presence at the Annacis Island Campus
ASI Signage for Offices (Broadway/Downtown)
ASI listed on all College Directories
ASI Posters throughout Campus
Policy Flow-Charts
“Fairness Matters”/”Got Fairness” Buttons/Magnets
ASI Phone App.
ASI information on VCC electronic monitors
Part of HR employee orientation guide
ASI information in VCC Continuing Studies Catalogue
Cross linkage of ASI services to other internal student services web pages
Listing on Student Development Check-list pad of paper provided throughout the College
ASI orientation for onboarding new employees
10 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
SOURCES OF REFERRAL
All stakeholder groups including faculty, staff, administrators, the
students’ union and students referred students to the ASI in 2017.
There were, in addition, a number of repeat student self-referrals.
In 2017 the ASI received referrals from all schools/centres at VCC
except the School of Instructor Education. The School of Health
Sciences, as in previous years, remained the lead referee. While no
referrals in 2016 came from the Centre for Continuing Studies, 2017
saw referrals from that area and a renewed resurgence of consults
to multiple units under that umbrella.
REFERRALS BY SCHOOL/PROGRAM/DEAN School of Health Sciences
School of Arts & Sciences
School of Hospitality, Food Studies & AppliedBusiness
School of Trades, Technology & Design
Centre for Continuing StudiesEnglish as an Additional Language
Basic Education
Dean, Health Sciences
Bachelor of Science, Nursing
Practical Nursing
OPTA
HUC
Music
Dean, Hospitality, Food Studies & Applied Business
Hospitality Management
Fashion
11 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
COUNSELLING
DISABILITY SERVICES
STUDENT SERVICES RECEPTION
CONTINUTING STUDIES
REGISTRARIAL UNIT
INDIGENOUS EDUCATION & COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
STUDENTS' UNION OF VCC
MANAGER OF STUDENT SERVICES (Conduct Portfolio)
EDUCATION ADVISING
REFERRALS FROM
STUDENT SERVICES
12 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
Policy Highlights for the ASI Office in 2017:
Appeal/Complaint Decision Letter Template: Collaboration & Development with the Chair, Appeals Oversight Committee to Education Council.
Education Council Policy Committee Liaising to Student Development Departments: seeking feedback, noting policy changes, providing a bridge to Education Council Policy Committee for comments & concerns, etc.
Comment to Education Council Policy Committee on new Terms of Reference.
School of Health Sciences Retention Committee: continued updating of list of systemic issues. Supplementary list specific to nursing issues developed and delivered at special ‘nursing specific’ issues meeting. Provision of committee overview with potential new member outlining merits, debriefing candidate’s potential contribution of relevant expertise.
Equity Glossary of Terms from The 519 Agency added to ASI internal VCC webpage and circulated among relevant college actors.
Recanvassing of issues surrounding underage students on campus. Collaboration and pooling of information among ASI, Dean, Student Development, Director of Safety, Security & Risk Management and Manager of Student Services. Forwarding of a 2014 ASI briefing re Underage Student Administration in a Post-Secondary Environment originally produced for Education Council Policy Committee.
Policy Engagement
2017 was marked with increased engagement in policy work for the ASI. The
ASI provided consultation and advice on matters of substantive and procedural
fairness for policy through ‘voice no vote’ standing member of various
committees; through community comment on policies, procedures and
protocols; via individual consultations about specific policy, procedure or
protocol issues; and by providing recommendations to departments on their
internal practices, protocols and department handbooks.
POLICY
Systemic Barriers
Policy
Com-plaints
13 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
POLICY: KEY PURPOSES
Providing direction on how to solve individual student complaints;
Instituting measures to address systemic issues;
Setting a culture of fairness, transparency, consistency, timeliness, accountability, and reasonability;
Mitigating risk to the institution.
Flagging miscategorised policies on College website and thereby supporting ASI efforts to educate faculty around the policy’s appropriate use. For example, ensuring that the Requirements for Student Attendance & Participation Policy is properly viewed and administered as an academic performance/grading issue and not as a conduct issue. Helping to temper the misuse of this policy as basis for disciplinary measures instituted against students who are unsuccessful in meeting attendance and participation standards for their course/program.
Support for a new Registration Policy that will ensure that students meet progression
thresholds as they move through their courses/program. Clear and sustainable
requirements for demonstrable progress in a course or program ensures that
students make informed and realistic choices about their academic goals.
2017 POLICY WORK
Sexual Violence & Misconduct
Education Services Renewal
Requirements for Student Attendance and Participation
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition
Student Appeal to the College Board
Policy Development and Maintenance
Registration
Selection of Library Materials
Interpreting Services—Terms of Use Protocol Changes
Suspension and/or Discontinuance of Programs
Program Review & Renewal
Student Code of Conduct (Non-Educational Matters)
Appeal of Final Grade Policy
Appeal of Final Grade Policy workshops for staff, faculty and administrators, supported by Vice President Academic, Students & Research.
Appeal of Final Grade Policy
presentation to VP Academic,
Students & Research team (Deans &
Directors & Registrar).
Contribution to drafting of Student Appeal of Final Grade Request Form.
14 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
Committee Work Highlights
ASI VCC Committee Activity
Member - Education Council Policy Committee
Member - Student Services Administrator Policy Group
Member - Positive Space Committee
Member - Employee Engagement Strategy Committee
Member - Gender Based Violence Prevention & Protection Committee
Member - Health Sciences Retention Committee
Member - Advisory Committee on Instruction of Students with
Disabilities (ACISD)
Member - Education Council, Appeals Oversight Committee
Member - Tribunal Training Sub-Committee to Appeals Oversight Committee Member - Prevention of Bullying Strategy Working Group
Gender Based Violence Prevention & Protection
The ASI continued its membership on the VCC Gender Based Violence Prevention & Protection Committee. Pursuant to provincial legislation in 2016, the Committee continued work on a policy to address sexual violence and misconduct on campus with the ASI providing commentary on the new policy which saw publication in May of 2017. VCC continued to use a trauma informed survivor centred approach to developing the policy. The differentiation between a survivor’s choice to disclose and/or report an assault was of primary focus and central to the policy development in line with legislation, theory and paradigm shift in the community and the approach being used in most other public post-secondary institutions.
The ASI continued to import feedback and work completed under the Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW) Campus Allied Response Effort (CARE) project at VCC to the committee.
Being a member of external associations and alliances (i.e., Student Conduct Administrators Roundtable (SCAR), Association of Canadian College & University Ombudspersons (ACCUO), Canadian Association of College & University Student Services (CACUSS) ) and having connected with external community members (i.e., WAVAW, West Coast Leaf), the ASI was well placed to provide information to the Committee on movement, best practices, support panels/groups, activity and professional development opportunities developing in this area within other institutions and organizations.
15 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
Tribunal Training
In 2017, the ASI and the Appeals Oversight Committee to
Education Council put in a concerted effort towards
systemizing training for participants who sit on tribunal panels
in judgement of student complaints or appeals. While the ASI
has been providing individualized and small group training in
this area for a number of years, the Office was able to
collaborate closely with the Chair of the Appeals Oversight
Committee to Education Council to devise and deliver the first
College branded in-person training for an extensive group of
stakeholders; offering participants thereafter the opportunity
to sit on a tribunal panelist roster for future hearings
participation. The College had in the past brought in the
British Columbia Council of Administrative Tribunals to provide
training in this area. The opportunity to now attenuate
training to VCC’s unique needs was invaluable.
The training provided the ASI an excellent opportunity to
impart the concepts of Procedural Fairness & Natural Justice
and to elaborate on their constituent precepts attenuated for
post-secondary use (notice; disclosure; opportunity to present
one’s case; opportunity to respond; duty to consider all
evidence; right to an advocate; legitimate expectations; right
to an impartial decision maker free from bias; panel
independence; right to reasons; delay, etc.). The use of the
previous year’s acquired Canadian Association of College and
University Student Services (CACUSS) Monograph on
Procedural Fairness (by Lynn M. Smith, Ph.D. and Brandy
Usick, M.Ed., ©2016) was instrumental in the training.
The intention is to subsequently design the training to be
available online in addition to the in-person delivery to
enhance options for future participants’ learning styles.
Working Out Systemic Issues
& Safeguarding Fairness
TRIBUNAL OBSERVER
POLICY "NO VOTE"
POLICY "VOICE"
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
16 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
On an as needed basis, the ASI continued to deliver on-
demand abridged training for panelists (VCC employees and
students alike) hearing specific cases including drafting of fact
patterns to support concept learning; relevant policy review;
understanding panelist mandate; adjudication of grounds; and
concepts of procedural fairness and substantive new
information. Upon request, the ASI also provided feedback
to Tribunal Chairs subsequent to the conclusion of a Tribunal.
The work around developing an anti-bullying protocol begun
in 2015 and continued in 2016 was concluded in 2017. An
anti-bullying protocol was developed to assist faculty, staff
and administrators in meeting student concerns over being
bullied at the College. The effort was a culmination of a multi-
stakeholder working group including the ASI, the Manager of
Student Services Office (student conduct portfolio),
Counselling; Interpreting Services; Human Resources; Faculty;
Safety and Security; and Indigenous Education & Community
Engagement and initial participation from the Students’ Union
of Vancouver Community College. The protocol/practical
approach to responding to student complaints of bullying and
personal harassment was developed and circulated to the
College at large via the VCC internal employee newsletter and
posted on the ASI’s internal VCC webpage. The protocol is not
a policy. Rather, it is a best practices tool intended to provide
a structural approach for personnel who receive reports of
bullying from students without diminishing any formal and
binding College instruments or authorities. [See Appendix ‘A’]
Bullying
Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash
17 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
INTERNAL COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITY
Disability Issues
A number of outstanding issues
surrounding students with disabilities
(SWD) were reviewed in 2017, with the
ASI being asked to consult on multiple
sub-topics.
Late Requests for Accommodations
SWD being admitted and registered in
advance of having their
accommodations put in place has
created many barriers for SWD who
have not taken into consideration the
time and documentation required to
have accommodations structured.
SWD, naturally focussed on the
‘academic’ issues related to their entry
into a course/program, have thus been
met with the realization that without
properly structured accommodations,
their ability to succeed is truly
hampered. While any requirement for
SWD to demonstrate that their
accommodations have been put into
place prior to their acceptance into a
program is not enforceable, the issue is
becoming unsustainable for both the
SWD and the institution. As such, the
ASI and a representative group of
stakeholders, spearheaded by the
Dean, Student Development and fully
informed by Disability Services, came
together to discuss best practices and
better processes to close the gap and
provide SWD with realistic
expectations around accommodations.
Duty to Accommodate SWD
2017 saw a discussion to revive the
Duty to Accommodate Presentation
jointly delivered between the ASI and
Disability Services in 2013. The
presentation was short lived in 2013,
but saw renewed engagement around
its delivery in 2017. The presentation
was curated to focus solely on the legal
duty to accommodate SWD and rolled-
out by the ASI late in 2017 to VCC’s
Executive Branch, Deans, Directors and
other key College stakeholders. Having
been well received by the VCC
Executive, the presentation was slated
for more fulsome roll-out in 2018 to
the various schools and divisions of the
College.
The presentation saw integral
collaboration among Interpreting
Services, Disability Services and the ASI
in providing lived examples of VCC
situations illustrating the
consequences of both success and
failure in properly accommodating
SWD at VCC.
The intention is for Disability Services
to roll-out a second phase of this topic
on the heels of this first phase, the
Photo by Doug Maloney on Unsplash
18 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
second phase focussing on the actual
accommodation process at the College.
With a foundational knowledge of the
legal requirements of the College to
accommodate SWD coupled with a more
intimate understanding of how the
accommodation is actually devised at VCC,
we hope to dispel myths associated with
accommodations and to support better
processes and collaboration within the
College towards accommodating SWD.
Pursuant to an articulated systemic barrier
brought forward to the ASI around
accommodating SWD in a particular
department, the ASI was invited by the
relevant department head to speak with
the department’s faculty on the issue. The
ASI collaborated with Disability Services
and Interpreting Services to provide a
focussed co-developed and delivered
presentation on the duty to accommodate
and engage in established college disability
processes to the department faculty to
bolster understanding and employment of
the College set process.
Spearheaded by one of the Counsellors,
the ASI also responded to a request to
present on the ‘duty to inquire’ about a
student’s disability to Education Advising
at the College, often the first point of
contact for prospective students and an
excellent opportunity for VCC to initiate
discussions around an individual’s
disability needs.
The ASI additionally presented on the Duty
to Accommodate and the Duty to Inquire,
and other General Human Rights Issues to
the Language Instruction for Newcomers
to Canada Program (LINC) faculty.
Finally, the ASI was asked to sit-in on initial
discussions among VCC’s Partnership &
Development Office, Dean, Student
Development, Disability Services and the
Open Door Group employment services to
explore employment/training
accommodations and supports for SWD
available through Open Door Group.
Roles, Rights & Responsibilities: Students & Faculty
In 2017, the ASI was invited along with the
Manager of Student Services to present to
the Practical Nursing Faculty during their
professional development day on a variety
of issues. The ASI provided a briefing on
the impact of student rights on Practical
Nursing Program curriculum and the
teaching of the profession. The discussion
focussed on navigating student rights
amidst meeting curriculum and
professional standards, canvassing in
particular: human rights; the duty of care;
privacy rights; procedural fairness
concerns; and the concept of competing
rights.
Alongside the Manager of Student
Services, the ASI was also asked to
provide conflict resolution intervention for
a particular cohort/class conflict where the
class was deeply divided over an issue
surrounding academic integrity.
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
19 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
The ASI & Manager of Student Services
additionally collaborated by leading an in-
service discussion with the English as an
Additional Language (EAL) Department on
classroom management of complex
student profiles; the intersection between
conduct issues, cultural diversity and
disability; and student and faculty rights,
roles and responsibilities.
The ASI was invited to facilitate conflict
resolution between department faculty
and students in two particular cases in
2017, addressing issues of trust and
confidence going forward and providing
tailored action plans to faculty and
department heads involved. The ASI
collaborated with an academic
department on delivering a mini-
intervention re student rights, roles and
responsibilities, zeroing in on the students’
right to provide critical instructor feedback
without fear of reprisal.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing -
Indigenous Cohort Planning
The ASI was invited to collaborate on
VCC’s first Bachelor of Science in Nursing
(BsN) Indigenous Cohort at the Broadway
Campus. The ASI provided potential best
practices to support a successful
experience for the students including:
recommendations on instituting an ‘early
alert’ system for students at risk (i.e.,
potentially offering scheduled team
meetings for students with VCC’s
Indigenous Education & Community
Engagement Department (IECE) and BsN
Department where issues can be pro-
actively surfaced together –(wrap around
approach) ); setting time aside for one or
two ‘point person’ counsellors from VCC to
meet with students and brainstorm
potential challenges, needs, resources
during orientation –(relational approach);
having students start a journal first
capturing any of their fears, concerns,
triggers before training starts and have
students continue journaling to reflect and
‘check’ those fears, concerns, triggers etc.
as they move through training; providing
advanced training to faculty and staff by
IECE around Indigenous history,
intergenerational trauma, etc.; carving-out
scenario based training using Indigenous
Community examples/stories/histories—
connecting training directly to student
cultural identity and Indigenizing any other
training if possible; and reviewing past
contracted training with our Indigenous
Communities to canvass issues and devise
safeguards against potential repeating of
any past patterns (if applicable). While
not every recommendation was adopted,
the opportunity for the ASI to comment
was invaluable to the Office in exercising
its mandate as ‘change agent’ and to learn
from other stakeholders, most importantly
IECE, best practices that can be imported
into the ASI’s own work with Indigenous
Students.
The ASI was also provided the opportunity
to engage in an exercise at one of the
standard College-wide Deans, Directors
and Department Head meetings on how
best to indigenize curriculum at VCC. The
BsN Department Head Suzanne Touahria
presented on the process undertaken by
her department with the BsN Indigenous
Cohort and how to incorporate Indigenous
education and content into a curriculum.
The ASI continued to gain a better
understanding of Indigenous Student
servicing, often having very collaborative
discussions with a variety of stakeholders
especially those in the Student
Development team and IECE.
Deployed Wraparound Approach
2017 saw a fulsome wraparound approach
taken to work with a particular at-risk
20 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
student. The ASI collaborated with IECE,
Disability Services, the Manager of Student
Services, the Academic Department
Instructor and Department Head and the
Student and their external service provider
to carve-out a return to programming
action plan, outlining each stakeholder’s
(including the student’s) roles and
responsibilities in making the student’s
comeback a success. This approach is
meant to support retention of very
complex student cases where multiple
student barriers necessitate an integrated
collaborative approach to support the
student.
As in previous years, the ASI provided a
wide range of consultations and briefings
to both the academic and services sides of
the house at VCC in 2017. Topics included:
College Strategic Planning
As part of the Student Development Team, the ASI provided feedback to the VP, Academic, Students & Research on student services’
priorities for the coming year’s VCC Academic Plan
Institutional Learning Outcomes
Summary of ASI contribution activity to the 2017/18 VCC Integrated College Plan for VCC’s first quarter
Human Rights & Duty to Accommodate
Disability Services’ ‘Faculty Dos & Don’ts’ list around teaching Students with Disabilities (SWD)
Religious accommodations
Disability disclosure on College forms
Clinical site placement re disability issues
Equitable and consistent use of student services resources and the appropriate deployment of disability services resources (i.e., for internal vs. external (the public) stakeholder/ Duty to accommodate general public vs. specific student
Accommodating/adapting core requirements of a program
Reduced course loads for SWD vis à vis student College employment requirements of full-course loads
Universal Washrooms access for SWD
Competing rights
Human Rights issues
Bullying
Duty to accommodate SWD - general
Accessibility of campus washrooms
Universal Washrooms
Disability disclosure
Duty to accommodate requirements vs. simple provision of services to SWD
Duty to accommodate vs. language/cultural accommodation of Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students
Appropriate deployment/use of Deaf American Sign-Language Interpreters Interpreting Services Request Guidelines
Ramifications of SWD to terminate their funded classroom assistant allocation of responsibility and duty to continue accommodating
Classroom accommodation of SWD technology vs. risk/safety of space
Disability classroom assistant role
Duty to accommodate visually impaired student employee
Potential for imbedding ‘duty to accommodate’ training in teacher education programming at VCC
PROVISION OF CONSULTATIONS TO STAKEHOLDERS
21 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
Ethics
Professional ethics
Conflict of interest
Roles and boundaries
Language Rights
English language proficiency requirements for a program
Rights of students to conduct themselves in any language preferred vs. right to demand language of instruction be used for in-class academic activity
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism
Educational Conduct Issues/ Appeals/Policy
Academic Misconduct
Student Conduct
Student conduct
Incoming marijuana legislation impact on campus
Student Conduct Policy
Disruptive student behaviour
Policy
Appeals to Education Council/Policy
Records Retention
Policy navigation for personnel
Liability Waivers
Dispute Resolution
Conflict resolution
Student complaint process
Binding nature of classroom agreements
Implications of student signatures, or lack thereof, on academic documentation
Student Grievance Policy
Student complaints vs instructors
Developmental Issues
Pre-educational issues/programming
Post-Secondary Case Management Models
Learning Commons
Academic Issues
Issues around Professional behaviour, Attendance, Completion of prep work interplay with curriculum requirements
Issuing comportment letters (professional behaviour standards)
Attendance requirements in an adult environment –needing to be rationally connected to curriculum
Program/curriculum implementation
Heavy Mechanical Technology Diploma Program
Attendance & Participation vs. Conduct Issues
Administration of Incomplete Course Work contracts
Flexible Admissions Policy
Admissions Policy
Transportation Trades Sampler Citation Programming
Academic Integrity vs. Academic Performance (grades)
Refraining from conflating Professional/Academic Standards with Student Conduct Standards Student Conduct Standards to be addressed separately from Academic/Professional issues
Gender-Based Violence
Sexual Violence Processes/Procedures
Sexual Violence & Misconduct Policy
22 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
DOCUMENT COLLABORATION
Appeals Oversight Committee to Education Council Tribunal Decision Letter Template
Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and 3D Building Information Modelling (BIM) Department Handbook
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program Flow Chart for BSN Students: Failure to Reinsertion/Progressions Algorithm
Health Unit Coordinator Progression/Supplemental Opportunity Memo Template
Health Care Assistant Program Course Failure Appeal/Progressions/Reinsertion Letter Template
Medical Device Reprocessing Technician Program Addition of Attendance Requirement in Program Content Guide
Health Unit Coordinator Department Handbook Section: “ Standards For Written Assignments and Written & Oral Communication”
Briefing Note: To Dean, Student Development Parameters of Duty to Accommodate vs. Language Accommodation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Program Student Intake & Accommodations Referral Flow Chart for Students
Health Sciences Retention Committee Systemic Issues List
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program Preceptorship Evaluation Tool
23 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
COLLABORATION WITH EXTERNAL POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS & OTHER ORGANISATIONS &
STAKEHOLDERS RE STUDENT ISSUES
EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER Association of Canadian College & University Ombudspersons (ACCUO)
BC Region of Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (BC ACCUO)
Camosun College, Manager, Education Policy
BC Student Conduct Administrators Round Table (SCAR)
Students Union of Vancouver Community College (SUVCC)
Lawyer/Mediator Looking To Provide Service To Post-Secondary Sector In Mediation And Conflict Management
University Of Victoria Master Of Public Administration Student
Open Door Group Employment Services
BCIT Annacis Island Campus Program Assistant Motive Power, School of Transportation
SUBJECT MATTER Sexual Violence Policies Sharing Student Information: Procedural
Fairness/Bias/Privacy & Confidentiality
Harassment in Higher Education Student Employment/Training Accommodations and Supports For SWD
Records Retention
Student Servicing at Remote/Satellite Campuses
Procedural Fairness Bias
Date of Ombuds Office Creation
Definitions Around Equity Concepts
Broaching Issues with VCC Board of Governors
Access to Student Conduct Complaints/Reports
Sexual Assault Investigation et al Training Opportunities
Case Management Model Gathering Student Feedback for Policy Development
Academic Misconduct Appeals/Adjudication
Community Resources
Governance Structures Re Approval Process for Non-Academic Conduct Policies
Appeals of Academic Matters and Procedures for Appeals on Non-Academic Discipline
Freedom of Expression and Institutional Reputational Harm
Eliciting Student Feedback on Policy Harassment in Higher Education Institutions
Tribunal Training Post-Secondary Education Dispute Landscape
Fairness & Equity During Student Practicum Placements: Best Practice for Professional Program Practicum Assessment
24 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
EDUCATION & AWARENESS BUILDING
Education and awareness building continued to be the necessary companion activities required to bolster policy in dealing with both individual and systemic issues. Upholding natural justice and procedural & substantive fairness in all College interactions is essential for creating and maintaining a just environment in which to learn.
ASI Workshops & Orientation Sessions
entations sssSessions
ORIENTATION ON ASI SERVICES TO STUDENTS & FACULTY/STAFF/ADMINISTRATORS STUDENTS PERSONNEL
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
VCC Faculty Association - Executives
Health Care Assistant Program English as an Additional Language Faculty
Practical Nursing Program Student Development Leadership Team
American Sign Language & Deaf Studies Program
Practical Nursing Faculty
Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport
Photo by Clever Visuals on Unsplash
25 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
WORKSHOPS/PRESENTATIONS
TOPIC COLLABORATION & CO-PRESENTATION
STUDENTS PERSONNEL
Human Rights/Bullying: Attendance at student ‘graduation’ day
------------------------------------- Heavy Duty/ Commercial Transport
-------------------------------------
Human Rights ------------------------------------- Health Care Assistant
-----------------------
Nursing Curriculum: Impact of Student Rights on the Teaching of the Profession Navigating Student Rights Amidst Meeting Curriculum & Professional Standards (Human Rights/Duty of Care/Privacy Rights/Procedural Fairness)
------------------------------------- -------------------- Practical Nursing
Duty to Accommodate Co-Presented by ASI & Interpreting Services & Disability Services
-------------------- Deaf & Hard of Hearing (DHH)
Duty to Accommodate Joint Collaboration Among ASI & Interpreting Services & Disability Services
-------------------- Senior Leadership Team/Deans & Directors/Other Key College Stakeholders
Duty to Accommodate/Duty to Inquire/General Human Rights Issues
------------------------------------- -------------------- Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Faculty
Duty to Accommodate ------------------------------------- -------------------- School of Instructor Education (SIE) - Instructor
Classroom Management re Complex Student Profiles; Intersection Between Conduct and Accommodating Students with Disabilities; Student/Faculty Rights & Roles & Responsibilities
Co-Presented by ASI & Manager of Student Services
-------------------- English as an Additional Language (EAL)Department
Duty to Accommodate/Inquire ------------------------------------- ------------------- Education Advisors & Counsellor
Appeal of Final Grade Policy ------------------------------------- VP, Academic, Students & Research team (Deans, Directors, Registrar)
Appeal of Final Grade Policy ------------------------------------- -------------------- Faculty, Staff, Administrators
26 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
TRAINING
Offered Through/At VCC External to VCC
Education Council Planning Day – Policy Breakout Session [Nov.24, 2017.] Lexis-Nexis Quicklaw Core [VCC Training. Provided by Kristina Oldenburg , VCC Library: February 7, 2017.] Respectful Workplace – Leader Training Module [VCC Online Training. Delivered through VCC Human Resources: February 8, 2017.] Communication Workshop: Dealing Directly with Workplace Dysfunction – for leaders [Workshop. Facilitated by Marli Rusen. Organized by VCC: March 2, 2017.] Millennium Fast Administrative Support Tools (FAST) [Training. Facilitated by Jose Arellano, Manager Financial Reporting 2, VCC Financial Services. September 14, 2017.] Student Developmental Barriers for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing [Briefing. Provided by Susan Dahlgren, Counsellor, VCC Disability Services and Nigel Scott, Department Head, VCC Interpreting Services. September 28, 2017.]
“Students with Episodic Disabilities in Canada: What you need to know!” [Webinar. Presented by Wendy Porch, Manager, Episodic Disabilities, Realize and Tammy C. Yates, Executive Director, Realize. Put on by Realize: March 30, 2017.]
“Victim-Centred Restorative Justice Practice” [Webinar. Presented by Alan Edwards, Policy Centre for Victim Issues. Put on by the Canadian Department of Justice WebEx, A Victim-Centred Approach to Restorative Justice: November 23, 2017.]
“Implementing the new CACUSS Competencies within the Community of Practice for Accessibility & Inclusion” [Webinar. Presented by Patty Hambler and Janet Mee (UBC), and Tracey Mason-Innes (SFU). Put on by the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS): January 26, 2017.]
CONFERENCES
Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (ACCUO) British Columbia Regional Meeting [VCC: November 30, 2017.]
ASI PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Staying current on best practices, emerging issues in the post-secondary landscape, new approaches, legislation, case law and social
trends is imperative to the ASI’s work both at the individual student level, and ensuring organizationally that the College continues to
strengthen its processes and protocols by filtering all of its work and decision making through a procedural fairness and natural justice
lens.
27 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
STATISTICS
2017 STAFF CONSULTS ABOUT SPECIFIC STUDENT
GENERAL STAFF BRIEFINGS/CONSULTS ON STUDENT RELATED COLLEGE ISSUES/POLICY/FAIRNESS/ETC.
78 90
2017 TOTALS RELATIVE TO 2016
STUDENT CONTACTS 52 44
STUDENT INTAKES/CASES 85 64
STUDENT FOLLOW-UP CONFERENCES
112 135
Student complaints manifested themselves as Individual Student Complaints or Groups of Students consisting of two or more students. [Note: each individual student is counted in the tally.] The ASI tracked:
Student Contacts: Students who connected with the Office but did not pursue their issue further through the Office;
Student Intakes/Cases: Students with whom the ASI completed one or more intake(s) including students who accessed the Office for more than one case; and
Student Follow-Up Conferences: Number of follow-up meetings and/or calls conducted with or on behalf of the student.
The Office provided consults to VCC personnel (faculty,
staff, administrators) about specific students independent
of those provided to students.
These meetings typically happen in advance of a
student booking an appointment with the ASI.
These meetings also occur as part of the
investigation, resolution, or advancement of a
student situation brought forward by a staff
member to the ASI vs. by the student to the ASI.
Sometimes, the two streams will intersect.
However, Office consults are provided to the
specific client (personnel OR student) and
appropriate confidentiality measures are
deployed in each circumstance.
The ASI also provided briefings on issues not related to a
specific student but within the ASI’s scope and mandate.
These briefings provide opportunities to shore up
procedural fairness within the institution.
The ASI received student interest from
4 of the Schools at VCC and from VCC’s
Centre for Continuing Studies.
SCHOOLS 2017
Arts & Sciences 22
Health Sciences 49
Hospitality, Food Studies & Applied Business
6
Trades, Technology & Design
4
Instructor Education 0
Centre for Continuing Studies
4
28 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
TYPE OF RESOLUTION SOUGHT OR OPEN TO
2017 Relative to 2016
Formal 32 18
ADR 18 12
Both 31 30
N/A 4 4
CAMPUS 2017
Broadway 70
Downtown 14
Annacis Island 1
DISTRIBUTION OF CASES OVER PROGRAMS
Adult Basic Education Office Administration Certificate Bachelor of Science in Nursing Baking & Pastry Arts
Medical Office Assistant Culinary Arts Deaf & Hard of Hearing Interior Design Certificate
ESL Pathways Fashion Design Health Unit Clerk Hair Design
Health Care Assistant LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada)
Hospitality Management Practical Nursing/Access to Practical Nursing
Automotive Collision Repair Medical Laboratory Assistant University Transfer --General College & Career Access
Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport Music Creative Writing Civil/Structural Technician Certificate
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Occupational/Physical Therapist Assistant Diploma
Students most often access the Office to trigger a
Formal Resolution, but are often open to
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Ultimate
resolutions are not tracked by the Office as it has no
ability to compel the final decision maker to report
back to the Office on resolutions. The ASI thus
tracks the student’s initial interest in either a formal
or informal resolution, or both (including decisions
to start ‘informal’ and progress to ‘formal’ arenas
should ADR not culminate in resolution).
In 2017 Broadway Campus students continued to outpace access to
the ASI over students enrolled at our Downtown and Annacis Island
Campuses. While Annacis Island Campus students’ access of the
Office continued to lag, as outlined above, the ASI along with allied
student services embarked on a pilot offering of on-site office
hours at Annacis. The pilot will provide some needed insight into
how to better serve our remote Annacis Island Campus students.
Distribution of Cases Throughout Programs. Note
that, to preserve privacy, the number of cases per
program is not identified.
29 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
TYPE OF ISSUE 2017 Relative to 2016
Final Grade Appeals 23 29
'Incomplete' Contract 0 0
Grievance/Complaint 60 41
Human Rights/Bullying 30 21
Duty To Accommodate 6 8
Student Conduct (self) 3 4
Student Conduct (Other) 2 3
Student Educational Conduct 4 1
Appeal To Education Council 0 1
Appeal to the Board 0 1
FOIPPA 3 4
Required to Withdraw 3 3
Refund 11 6
Funding Appeal 3 3
Admissions/Insertions 2 0
Gender Based Violence 2 2
Safety & Security 1 2
Withdrawal 1 N/A
OTHER 9 9
EVALUATIONS RETURNED
2017 2016 2015 2014
12 4 7 11
As part of the Office’s quality assurance, the ASI continued to
circulate student evaluations of ASI services in 2017. In an effort
to be more pro-active in soliciting evaluations from students in
2017, the ASI routinely handed out evaluations upon intake for
students to take away and potentially fill-out/submit at a later
date. While the number of returned evaluations fell far behind
student intake numbers, the provision of the evaluations during
intake meetings did stimulate an increase in returned
evaluations relative to 2016 and 2015 but not when compared
to 2014. The vast majority signaled satisfaction with the ASI
Service. However, the extreme small sampling cannot provide
any substantive understanding of students’ satisfaction of the
service.
Students often present with multiple types of issues.
The ASI assists the student in defining/categorizing each
item in order to support action planning around each.
Issues most often surface as breaches in due
process/natural justice/ procedural fairness or
bias/prejudice/discrimination, though some issues are
rooted elsewhere.
30 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
TRENDS & CHALLENGES & COMPLETIONS
2017 in Review Tribunal Training: As outlined above, 2017 saw the first coordinated in-house delivery of Tribunal Panelist Training at the College. The training focussed in particular on precepts of procedural fairness. The ASI is confident that such opportunities will work to shore up systemic barriers at the College, infusing a better understanding of the responsibilities associated with decision making around student issues; instituting better practice and developing a culture of substantiating decisions with appropriate rationales. ACCUO BC Regional Meeting: The ASI was fortunate to host the 2017 Association of Canadian College & University Ombudspersons’ BC Regional Meeting in 2017. A highlight of the meeting was a briefing by VCC’s Dean, Health Sciences/Chair of the Appeals Oversight Committee to Education Council on tribunal training of faculty, staff and administrators in supporting procedural fairness in student issues adjudication.
Funding: There was a concerted effort to review funding to increase ASI Office hours in 2017 spearheaded by the new Dean, Student Development. An extensive internal and external stakeholder consultation validated the Office’s services as instrumental to
31 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
the student body and College as a whole and the need to potentially shift the model of the Office to a stand-alone unit jointly funded through the College and the SUVCC. An additional partner in funding (the SUVCC) in turn would allow additional hours of servicing and increased capacity. The College and SUVCC chose to canvass for new leadership for the new stand-alone office and began its hiring campaign for this re-emerged office in 2017. The move will work to alleviate the capacity issues the ASI has struggled with since its inception of March 2011. School of Health Sciences: Service requests from the School of Health Sciences continued to outpace all other Schools as in previous years. The School of Health Sciences continued to be a model School for addressing fairness of process and natural justice issues. The Dean of Health Science’s high level of engagement with the Office remained an exemplary model of leadership engagement with the Office. Multiple Campus Coverage: The ASI began to provide more access to service at both the VCC Downtown and Annacis Island Campuses in 2017. This was a vast improvement over previous years. As outlined above, 2018 will look to provide even more access to the ASI by those campus’ students.
2016 Goals Achieved in 2017
Leadership and Senior Leadership Teams Access: 2017 saw continued increase in access to VCC Administrators and Senior VCC Administrators compared to 2016 and previous years. The ASI was invited to present on the ‘new’ Appeal of Final Grade Policy to the VP, Academic, Students and Research team (Deans, Directors, Registrar). The ASI also presented on the Duty to Accommodate Students with Disabilities in the post-secondary sector to the leadership and senior leadership teams. This demonstrates continued increased engagement by these two groups. The Office additionally collaborated more fully with the Registrar, especially on Appeal of Final Grade policy issues and student progression requirements. And the ASI continued to engage more fully with the VP, Academic, Students and Research in 2017. Pointed engagement and support from the Dean, Student Development was a major contributor to the Office’s increased profile within the College in 2017. In 2018 the ASI will continue to work with the Dean, Student Development to identify additional opportunities for the Office to work more closely with these groups, especially in an effort to make the Office as accessible as possible to Administrators and Senior Administrators to consult on complex student cases and ongoing systemic issues at the College.
32 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
2016 Goals Yet to be Achieved
ASI Data-Base: The ASI Office is still without an electronic database to better capture case notes, statistics, and run reports on trends. The
issue remains lack of funding. The Office continued to struggle in 2017 with how to capture metrics without a data-base. Metrics continued to be tabulated by hand through use of an Excel spreadsheet. With the advent of the new Dean, Student Development, the conversation on appropriate case management software was reignited. Discussions in 2017 began on the potential use of the College’s student enrolment and management system (BANNER) as a potential instrument for all of student services’ use, including the ASI. Investigations into the case management abilities of BANNER and its ability to ensure student privacy and confidentiality for ASI use exclusively will be undertaken more fully in 2018. The ASI has looked into potential data-bases available on the market for the Office’s use and will continue to a) measure the efficacy and utility of these against BANNER and b) to advocate for a proper data-base for the Office. While a data-base would not eliminate the consumption of time required to capture metrics for the Office, it would improve efficiency of the task considerably and would allow for tracking and reporting out on systemic barriers more fully.
BC Disability Servnet Forum: As in 2016, the ASI could not dedicate time to re-explore the appropriateness for the ASI to access the BC Disability Servnet Forum for individuals working in post-secondary disability services in 2016.
Office Terms of Reference: As in 2016, the ASI was unable to complete the creation of ASI ‘Terms of Reference’ in 2017. Additionally, the intention to re-emerge the ASI office as VCC’s Ombuds Office signaled a need to hold off on framing out a terms of reference until the move to an Ombuds Office was completed. The potential increase in office hours and finalized decision on the structure of the office in 2018 will provide a better opportunity to frame Office terms of reference.
ASI Workshops on Roles/Rights/Responsibilities: In 2017 the Office was unable to institute workshops on rights, roles and responsibilities targeting both student and non-student audiences, either on its own or in conjunction with other VCC departments/academic units. Capacity issues remained the reason.
33 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017
LOOKING FORWARD2018
2018 will look to continue increasing student access to the Office at all
campuses. Increased Office hours, reliant primarily on funding, will
continue to be explored in order to alleviate capacity issues. The Office
will look to collaborating on creating online modules for Tribunal
Training. The ASI will also explore collaboration with Interpreting
Services to improve and adapt Office resources for our Deaf & Hard of
Hearing students.
The ASI looks forward to improving the Office working hand in hand with
all VCC stakeholders, pooling creativity and ideas to promote fairness and
equity at the College and strengthening the College overall.
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
Photo by Diz Play on Unsplash
Photo by Gwen Weustink on Unsplash
Photo by Mike Petrucci on Unsplash
42 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017 Appendix ‘D’
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43 VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARBITER OF STUDENT ISSUES OFFICE| Annual Report: 2017 Appendix ‘D’
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