Student Advocacy Policy

1. Policy statement

Vanier College is committed to fair practices and the respect of rights and obligations of all members of its community. The College provides Advocacy Services to inform students about their rights and responsibilities, guide them on internal policies and procedures, and advise them on the appropriate channels for any concerns or complaints that they may have. This applies to both academic and non-academic matters.

2. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline the available Advocacy Services, their scope of application, and the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders.

3. Scope of application

This policy is in keeping with the College mission and the collective interest of the Vanier community. It applies to all Vanier students, including those registered as full-time, part-time, Regular Day or Continuing Education at Vanier College.

This policy calls for ongoing support of faculty, staff, and administration. Requests for information from the Student Advocate should be treated in a collaborative fashion.

The Student Advocate shall have no authority to impose remedies or sanctions, or to enforce any policy, rule or procedure. However, the Advocate will have the right to be recognized in carrying out their mandate and may make any recommendations deemed appropriate with regard to resolving complaints or improving policies, rules or procedures.

While the Student Advocate can guide a student through the complaint process, meeting with the Advocate is not to be confused with filing an official complaint, as outlined in other College policies.

4. Definitions

Complaint A statement of dissatisfaction with something and/or a feeling of having been treated unfairly. Complaints can be academic, non-academic, official, and/or informal.

Conflict of interest A set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional judgment or actions may be influenced by other interests.

Conflict resolution The methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful solution of a disagreement between two or more parties.

Student advocate Individual who acts in an intermediary role, offering students a consistent and centralized point of contact for questions, concerns, or difficulties they may encounter on campus, while providing guidance and support to help facilitate their resolution.

5. Mandate of the Student Advocate

The functions of the Student Advocate shall be to:

1. Provide independent, objective, and confidential guidance through which students may seek the just, fair and equitable resolution of complaints or perceived infringement of policy or procedure which falls under the jurisdiction of the College;
2. Advise students of their rights and responsibilities;
3. Inform and provide guidance to students and, upon request, to members of the Vanier community on institutional policies and procedures and their application;
4. Advise students about the various informal and formal administrative channels available for addressing an issue that may become the object of a complaint;
5. Promote a constructive informal approach to conflict resolution until such time as formal steps become necessary. The Advocate will guide the student through these steps and may act as a support person and speak on their behalf at any related meetings;
6. Use discretion to determine the type of support offered by Advocacy Services, the internal priority assigned to a case, and whether to withdraw services for cause;
7. Serve on relevant College committees and participate in the review of pertinent College policies, guidelines and procedures as requested by the College;
8. Promote and disseminate information on Student Advocacy Services to the Vanier College community;
9. Maintain records of all formal actions;
10. Submit an annual report to the Director, Services for Students by November 1st of each year, covering the previous academic year, including relevant statistics, dominant themes and recommendations. The report is shared with the Director General and the Academic Steering Committee and is available to any member of the Vanier College community upon written request to the Student Advocate.

6. Recusal

In the event that the Student Advocate must recuse themselves from a complaint or other matter because of a conflict of interest, perceived or actual bias, or because they are the subject of a complaint, the Director of Services for Students or their delegate may assume the responsibilities of the Student Advocate for that specific case and shall be bound by the provisions of this policy.

7. Complaint About Student Advocacy Services

If a member of the Vanier community wishes to submit a concern or complaint about Student Advocacy Services, with respect to any matter to which the member has been a party, they may do so in writing to the Director, Services for Students. The Director will investigate the complaint and inform the member of the results of the investigation within 15 working days of receiving the complaint.

If the community member remains unsatisfied, they may request that the Director General of the College review the complaint. This request must be made, in writing, within 15 working days of receiving the response from the Director, Services for Students. The Director General will respond within 15 working days of receiving the request. This decision is final and without appeal.

8. Reporting Structure

The Student Advocate reports to the Director, Services for Students.

9. Policy Revision

This policy will be reviewed every five years, or sooner if needed.

10. Related Policies and Procedures

Listed below is a sample of policies and procedures pertaining to student rights and responsibilities. The Student Advocate is available to respond to inquiries related to their content and application. The documents can be found in full on the Vanier College website.

• By-law #8, Academic Success
• Code of Conduct Policy
• Harassment and Discrimination, Prevention and Resolution Policy
• Inclusion Policy for Students with Disabilities
• Institutional Policy on the Evaluation of Student Achievement (IPESA) and associated policies, including, but not limited to, Academic Complaints, Academic Integrity, Mark Update and Grades Review, and Student Misconduct in the Classroom
• Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Official Policy
• Student Mental Health Policy
• Student Professional Unsuitability for Career and Technical Programs