Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I make an appointment?

Appointments can be scheduled by email, phone, or in person. For urgent matters, same-day appointments can be arranged.

2. Who will meet with me?

The Director of the Human Rights Office (HRO).

3. Will the information I give be kept confidential?

The information you give will be kept private and confidential with the following exceptions:

  • Danger to Self or Others: If you are at risk of self-harm or if there is an imminent risk of harm to others or University property. See Policy I.10.11’s Procedures for the Disclosure of Personal Information in Emergency or Compelling Circumstances
  • Suspected or Confirmed Child Abuse or Neglect: If you disclose a situation involving a risk of abuse or neglect to a child under 19 years of age.
  • Legal Requirement: If a law, court order, subpoena, or warrant authorizes or compels disclosure of your information, or if the information is needed to prepare or obtain legal advice for the University.
  • Consent: If you give us permission to release information to another person, agency, or institution.
  • Employment Duties: If an employee of the University needs the information to perform their employment duties.
  • Procedural Fairness: If you proceed with a complaint, disclosure of your information to the respondent may be required for procedural fairness. The HRO will discuss this with you before disclosing your information.

The HRO’s records are subject to BC's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If a freedom of information access request is made, your personal information will be protected under Policy I.10.04.

4. What if I only want advice from the HRO Director? 

If you only want advice about how to deal with your situation, the Director will limit her involvement to providing advice. This is what happens at the informal consultation stage. You can continue to seek advice from the HRO without ever initiating a complaint. 

5. What are the various steps in the complaint process?

  • If you want to proceed beyond the informal consultation stage, you must file a complaint with the HRO in writing.
  • The Director will do a preliminary review of your complaint to determine if your complaint falls within the scope and jurisdiction of the Human Rights Policy.
  • If your complaint is accepted, the Director will explain the possible next steps to you (informal inquiry, voluntary informal resolution, mediation, or investigation).

Informal Inquiry:

The Director will discuss the complaint with the respondent to seek a mutually acceptable resolution.

Voluntary Informal Resolution:

The Director will facilitate an informal resolution chosen by you (e.g. an educational conversation with the respondent, a facilitated conversation between you and the respondent, or a behavioral agreement).

Mediation:
The complaint may proceed to mediation at any time if you and the respondent agree. See Question 9 (“What is mediation?”) below.

Investigation:

You or the respondent may make a written request to the Director at any time for an investigation of the complaint. The Director will send the request for investigation to the Responsible Office for the respondent. The Responsible Office will consider the request for investigation and decide whether and how to investigate. Following the investigation, the Responsible Office will communicate the findings to you and the respondent in writing.

6. Can I make an anonymous complaint?

Anonymous complaints are not accepted.

7. Can I initiate a complaint about something that has happened to someone else?

Without information directly from the person who was the target of discrimination or harassment, the HRO will not proceed to act, except in exceptional circumstances. If you witness behavior you believe would constitute discrimination or harassment, the responsible thing to do is to approach the targeted person, let them know what you observed, and offer to act as a witness. Whether or not they choose to report the behavior is their decision.

8. If after obtaining advice I want to proceed with a complaint, what services are offered by the HRO?

The HRO offers informal resolution processes, mediation, referral to University-based and community resources, and referral to formal investigation.

9. What is mediation?

Mediation is a process where people who are in conflict come together with an impartial third party (the mediator) in an attempt to resolve their issues. The bulk of the work that is done in mediation is done by the parties themselves, who must have a sincere desire to resolve their conflict. Mediation proceedings are confidential, “off the record”, and normally result in written agreements that set out the actions each of the parties has agreed to undertake to ensure that conflict does not arise in the future.

10. May I bring a support person with me when I meet with the HRO?

Support people and advocates are welcome to accompany you to the HRO; however, we ask that they do not disrupt any discussions or proceedings.

11. Will a record of my complaint be maintained on file?

The Records Retention and Disposal Authority for the HRO specifies that records are to be maintained for varying lengths of time, depending on the type of file. For example, informal consultation files are maintained for two years by the HRO. However, HRO files are not used for other purposes, which means that generally they are not disclosed to other University officials and/or used in other cases.

12. If I make a complaint about a certain individual, will the HRO tell me if other (similar) complaints have been made?

No. We do not disclose personal or confidential information about past cases to current complainants.

13. Will the person I am complaining about know that I have complained?

If you are only seeking advice, the respondent will not be notified by the HRO. However, if you wish to proceed beyond the informal consultation stage, the HRO will disclose your complaint to the respondent, including your identity and the allegations against them, unless you are seeking a voluntary informal resolution that does not require full disclosure (for example, if you only want the Director to have an educational conversation with the respondent).

14. Will precautions be taken to ensure my personal safety?

If issues are identified involving personal safety, we will contact Campus Security and/or the police. The University can take steps to ensure that complainants and respondents do not come into contact while cases are being resolved.

15. If I feel too upset to go through an investigation, can I obtain a remedy without going through an investigation?

You may obtain a remedy through the voluntary informal resolution or mediation process. If no informal or mediated resolution of the complaint has been reached, the complaint must be referred to investigation if you wish to obtain a remedy. The University does not take disciplinary or corrective action based on unproven allegations.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call the Human Rights Office at 778-782-6632 or email hroadmin@sfu.ca.