Opportunity to Consult on UVic’s Sexualized Violence Policy (honoraria available)

Hello everyone! The Anti-Violence Project has been asked to help spread the word about an important consultation opportunity with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training (AEST), which is the provincial Ministry responsible for things related to post-secondary education in BC. 

We highly encourage folks to participate in these focus groups, if you are able to. We also recognize that discussing topics relating to sexualized violence, investigations, and institutional betrayal can be triggering and bring up lingering trauma. If you are in need of any support, we are here for you. Please join our drop-in support hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00am to 1:00pm, and 2:00pm to 5:00pm in-person in SUB B024. You can also book a support session outside of those times during regular business hours by emailing .

Opportunity to Consult on Your Post-Secondary Institutions’ Sexualized Violence Policy

AEST is conducting a review of BC post-secondary institutions’ sexualized violence (SV Policies), which has the potential to inform legislative amendments to the Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act (SVMPA).

AEST has completed consultations with internal partners and post-secondary institutions (PSIs), student societies, sector associations, staff and faculty unions, community organizations and subject matter experts and has begun external consultations with First Nations, Métis, and Indigenous organizations.

An important part of this consultation process is the ability to hear directly from students. AEST is organizing a series of student-only focus groups for students who self-identify as:

• International students: Monday, September 26, 9:00-11:00am
  • Registration deadline: Monday, September 19

• Indigenous students: Monday, September 26, 1:30-3:30pm
  • Registration deadline: Monday, September 19

• Students with lived experience of SV (survivors of SV) Tuesday, September 27, 1:30-3:30pm
  • Registration deadline: Tuesday, September 20

• Students with disabilities: Wednesday, October 5, 10:00am-12:00pm
  • Registration deadline: Wednesday, September 28

• 2SLGBTQQIA+ students: Wednesday, October 5, 1:30-3:30pm
  • Registration deadline: Wednesday, September 28

• Graduate students: Thursday, October 6, 9:00-11:00am
  • Registration deadline: Thursday, September 29

• Students identifying as Black and/or a person of colour: Thursday, October 6, 1:30-3:30pm
  • Registration deadline: Thursday, September 29

• Students living in Rural/Remote/Northern BC: Friday, October 7, 10:00am-12:00pm
  • Registration deadline: Thursday, September 29

A focus group for students unable to attend the above sessions, or who do not identify with any of the above listed groups, will be held on Wednesday, September 28, 1:30-3:30pm, with the registration deadline on Wednesday, September 21. Registered students will be emailed a list of questions in advance of the focus group.

Kat Bellamano, RSW, an external facilitator from Ambitus Consulting, will conduct the student focus group sessions. A counsellor and Elder will also be available at all focus groups to provide emotional and/or cultural support to students during the focus group sessions. Counselling support will be provided by Diane Hancox, MA, from Core Counselling, and Elder support will be provided by Yvonne Rigsby-Jones and i’yal-xwema’t (Gertie Pierre), through The Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

Registrants are required to provide their name and email address and can register for participation in various focus groups. All students who participate in the focus groups and provide their mailing address will receive a $50 (fifty) honorarium for their participation. Please note that the deadline for registration for any of the focus groups is one week before the scheduled session and focus groups will be limited to 20 participants each. Please be aware that focus group sessions may be cancelled if there are fewer than five registrants. Please contact to register to participate in the focus groups.

Participants will have the option to register for multiple focus group sessions based on their self-identification. Upon registration, students will be contacted directly with an invitation to attend the focus group virtually via Microsoft Teams. The identity of a student who responds in the discussions will not be included in any report. For the protection of everyone’s privacy, we respectfully ask that all participants not share any sensitive information after the session. Students may opt to provide written feedback directly to AEST by October 7, 2022, if they are unable to attend the focus group(s).

Please contact with any questions or concerns, to provide written feedback, or to register to participate in any of the focus groups. If you require accessibility accommodations to participate in the focus groups, please let us know via email at least one week in advance of the session you would like to participate in.