Ombudsperson

A runner's journey: Bruce Kidd recounts a life at the intersection of sport, politics and social change

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 20:22:48 +0000

A runner's journey: Bruce Kidd recounts a life at the intersection of sport, politics and social change

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 09/21/2021 - 16:22

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In his memoir, Bruce Kidd takes readers on a journey through some of the most significant social and political movements of the last 70 years (photo courtesy of ��Ƶ Scarborough)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Global

Olympics

Ombudsperson

Sport

U of T Scarborough

Varsity Centre

Bruce Kidd, a professor emeritus in the the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, writes in the introduction to his new book, A Runner’s Journey, that, “while an autobiography covers an entire life ... this is about my life in sport.”

But it is also much more.

Looking back at his life through the lens of sport, Kidd, a former Olympic athlete, member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, takes readers on a journey through some of the most significant social and political movements of the last 70 years.

Divided into three parts, the book traces Kidd’s athletic career in track and field – the highs and lows – and follows his circuitous route to becoming an activist and academic in sport studies.

Writer Jelena Damjanovic recently caught up with Kidd, who is also U of T’s ombudsperson and a former principal of U of T Scarborough, to chat about some of the defining moments of his life and career ahead of a Sept. 23 book launch event at Varsity Stadium.

You write about growing up loving sports of all kinds. How did you settle on running?

I had always loved to run, but knew nothing about the longer distances until forced to run a mile in a Grade 10 physical education class at Malvern Collegiate. When I ran it easily, the teacher, Mr. Grabb, encouraged me to enter the school’s harrier championship. When I won that easily, he recruited me to the school team. I loved it and found I was good at it. In my very first season, I won two city championships.

What was it about running that beat out all the other sports you enjoyed?

In track, you were the author of your own success and failure. That was very enticing.

You were a sensation on the North American track scene in the early 1960s. How did you recover from a disappointing showing in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo?

When I lost in Tokyo, I thought my life was over. It took me quite a while to recover. But supported by teammates, opponents, family and professors at U of T, I realized that life continued and there were other exciting avenues to pursue. I gradually learned to overcome the fear of failure. If I had survived the humiliation of Tokyo, I told myself, I could survive anything. It made it easier to take on difficult challenges.

What were some of your earliest lessons about sport values?

I was very lucky in the parents and coaches I had. They taught me that everyone deserved opportunity and fair treatment, and that racist and anti-Semitic trash talk had no place in sports.

Later on in life, you had more disturbing introductions to the way in which sport was affected by racism and sexism. What were some of the more poignant ones?

It was hard to see my Black teammate Harry Jerome criticized for ‘quitting’ in a major race when he was so clearly injured, and women teammates having to change behind a tree while we had heated dressing rooms with hot showers. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, girls and women were actively discouraged from sport.

Harry Jerome (left) and Bruce Kidd (right) and at British Empire Game Trials in East York, August 1962 (photo by Mihkel Turk)

Some of your detractors criticized you for pointing out things that needed improving in sports. How did you respond?

At first I was combative in the spirit of 1960s student radicalism, lashing back at my critics. That gave me the satisfaction of getting their attention, yet it didn’t help win over other people or bring about change. Gradually, with trial and error and mentoring from some very astute people, I learned to focus on what could be improved. That took a while, and constitutes a big part of the middle part the memoir.

What role did working as a civil servant at the Treasury Board Secretariat play in teaching you how to work the system from within?

Treasury Board taught me how to navigate a big cumbersome bureaucracy like the provincial government and the ��Ƶ. It also taught me that it’s not enough to change policy – but to ensure its effective implementation.

Of all the battles you fought, and continue to fight, which one would you single out as most important to you?

I’m very proud of those battles, but perhaps I’m proudest of the role I played in the international campaign to isolate apartheid sport in South Africa. It not only helped eradicate apartheid but turned international sports towards human rights.

What’s the most important battle in sport today?

To realize sport for all as a basic human right and a contribution to population health. We talk all the time about the benefits of sport and physical activity, but they’re only available to a minority of the population. With COVID, woeful participation levels fell even further. It’s a Canadian and worldwide crisis.

‘A lasting impact’: Ellen Hodnett retires as ombudsperson after 45-year U of T career

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 16:34:51 +0000

‘A lasting impact’: Ellen Hodnett retires as ombudsperson after 45-year U of T career

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 07/09/2021 - 12:34

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Ellen Hodnett, who taught in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing for 39 years, has led U of T's independent Office of the Ombudsperson since 2015 (Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Our Community

Cheryl Regehr

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Governing Council

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Ombudsperson

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

Professor Emeritus Ellen Hodnett is completing her final term as the ��Ƶ’s ombudsperson, drawing the curtain on an illustrious career at the university that spanned more than 45 years.

Hodnett has led the Office of the Ombudsperson – an independent office that’s devoted to helping students, staff, faculty and alumni with complaints and disputes in a neutral capacity – since 2015. She previously served as a teaching staff member of U of T’s Governing Council and was chair of the academic board for four years.

A registered nurse, Hodnett taught in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing for 39 years, carrying out highly influential research on care for childbearing women and the impact of health-care environments on patient outcomes.

She was appointed Canada’s first nursing research chair in 1996 and retired as a professor in 2014.

“I thought that was it – great career, loved every minute of it, and I’m retired now,” Hodnett says. “So, I was surprised when I came back a year later for a different kind of career as an ombudsperson. It’s been both challenging and rewarding – not always easy, of course, because the role is one where you’re in a liminal space, on the outside looking in, always with an eye towards fairness.

“I’ve really enjoyed and appreciated the role. The opportunities to work with so many fantastic people among the staff in the ombud’s office, Governing Council and the wider U of T community has been a really nice end to my professional life.”

Established in 1975, U of T’s Office of the Ombudsperson operates independently of the university’s administration and helps members of the community deal with issues and complaints when all other avenues have been exhausted. All matters brought to the office are kept confidential, unless complainants agree otherwise.

The ombudsperson also issues annual reports that highlight statistics about the number of cases dealt with by the office and trends with regards to the types of complaints being filed and the type of complainants – students, staff and faculty – who are filing them. The office also alerts Governing Council and university leadership of systemic issues that merit review and offers its recommendations.

Hodnett’s term as ombudsperson officially ended June 30. She will be succeeded by Bruce Kidd, professor emeritus in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and former vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough.

Cheryl Regehr, U of T’s vice-president and provost, hailed Hodnett’s “profound impact” on U of T over the years.

“I’m inspired by Professor Hodnett’s service to the university, and by her many accomplishments. As professor of nursing, her rigorous research on forms of care for childbearing women influenced care standards around the world,” says Regehr, who describes Hodnett as a “true trailblazer for women in health” and a “dynamic and motivating force” for her students.

“As ombudsperson, she has approached challenging situations with care, compassion, professionalism and empathy. Over the course of her six years in this vital position, Professor Hodnett has brought her unfailing wisdom to the office, to the benefit of all.

“Throughout this time, and indeed, in all her pursuits at the university, she has been resolute in her commitment to making the university the best place it can be – for students, faculty, alumni, and staff. I am extremely grateful for her service, and her immense contributions to U of T as ombudsperson, as a scholar and researcher, and as a committed part of our institution’s governance.”

Claire Kennedy, outgoing chair of U of T’s Governing Council – to which the ombudsperson reports – says Hodnett left her mark on the university through her work in the office.

“Ellen has brought a wealth of experience and wisdom to the role,” said Kennedy, who presided over her final meeting as chair on June 24. “Her exemplary service as ombudsperson will have a lasting impact on the fabric of U of T.”

One of Hodnett’s most significant moves as ombudsperson was to advocate for the expansion of the office’s presence to all three campuses, with the appointment of dedicated ombuds officers at U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough.

“I was concerned that we weren’t meeting the needs of UTM and UTSC well enough by being an office that was solely on the St. George campus,” Hodnett says. “What we needed were people who were rooted in those two campuses to be able to effectively provide ombudsperson services.”

Hodnett was also a big proponent of communication. In her annual report covering the 2019-2020 academic year, Hodnett focused all of her recommendations on the theme of providing information digitally – for example: urging divisions to provide easily accessible guidance on academic appeals processes on their websites and improving responsiveness to emails.

“This turned out to be even more important during the pandemic when everything was happening remotely,” she says. “It wasn’t like you could wander down somebody’s hallway and say ‘I have this concern; to whom should I speak?’”

For Hodnett, good communication is vital not only to resolving issues but to prevent them from happening in the first place. “I’m a firm believer that a little bit of primary prevention goes a very long way,” she says, with a nod to her nursing background.

And a vital part of communication, Hodnett says, is being a good listener.

“We may be able to conclude very early on that there was no unfair treatment or unfair application of a policy, but the person needs to be heard,” she says. “Simply listening sympathetically and then explaining why we can or cannot help, or what we think has happened, can defuse a lot of situations well before they become big problems.”

Yet, while ombuds officers are always willing to lend an ear, not enough people take advantage of them, according to Hodnett – particularly staff and faculty.

“Students have always come to us for assistance, but it’s been a challenge to reach out to faculty and staff to make sure they know we exist, and that we can help them when they face difficult situations,” Hodnett says.

“More work needs to be done to make sure they know that we may be able to help with situations that are not covered by union or association agreements.”

Hodnett says all members of the U of T community should feel free to bring their problems to the Office of the Ombudsperson – even if they’re not entirely sure that it’s the appropriate venue to discuss their particular concern or issue.

“Anyone with a question – no matter how silly or how complicated they think it might be – shouldn’t hesitate to contact the Office of the Ombudsperson. They’ll always get a very quick reply and an attempt to help,” she says. “If the person’s concern does not fit within our terms of reference, we don’t simply say, ‘Oh that’s too bad.’ We always try to find someone who can help.

“I know Professor Kidd will be very much aligned with that idea as well – that no matter what your concern, it never hurts to ask us. We may be able to point you very quickly in the right direction to get your concern addressed.”

As Hodnett prepares to hand over her responsibilities, she says she will reflect on her work as ombudsperson – issues handled, recommendations made – with satisfaction.

“They were, at least, a real attempt to make a great university maybe a bit better in some of its practices and policies,” she says.

As for her plans for retired life, Hodnett is looking forward to spending more time with family, traveling, reading and playing the piano. But she also wants to draw on her nursing experience to continue helping people.

“I hope to be able to help in some way with the vaccine clinics,” she says. “I’d like to think I’ll find a way to still do a little bit of good while I’m also enjoying life.”

A champion of fairness and equity, Bruce Kidd to become U of T's next ombudsperson

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 14 May 2021 19:29:17 +0000

A champion of fairness and equity, Bruce Kidd to become U of T's next ombudsperson

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 05/14/2021 - 15:29

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(Photo courtesy of U of T Scarborough)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Our Community

Equity

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Sport and public policy expert Bruce Kidd – a champion of fairness and equity ever since his days as an Olympic runner – has been named the ��Ƶ’s next ombudsperson.

A professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and former vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, Kidd was appointed to the position for a three-year term, beginning July 1.

He says it’s a job he has essentially been training for all his life.

“I learned through my early years in track and field to become an ally,” he said.

Operating independently of university administration and accountable to the Governing Council, U of T’s Office of the Ombudsperson was first established in 1975 and helps students, staff, faculty and alumni deal with university-related issues and complaints when other avenues have been exhausted. The office also alerts Governing Council and university leadership of broader systemic issues that need attention.

Matters brought to the ombudsperson are kept strictly confidential unless complainants agree otherwise.

U of T’s Governing Council approved Kidd’s appointment at its meeting on May 13.

Claire Kennedy, chair of the university’s Governing Council and chair of the Committee to Review the Office of the University Ombudsperson, noted that the committee had determined that Kidd, with his extensive knowledge of the university and his years of leadership experience, was exceptionally well-suited for the position.

“He embodies the values of the university and has a well-earned reputation for being principled and fair,” Kennedy said.

“In his many roles, Professor Kidd has continuously demonstrated a student-centric commitment for success built on fairness and empathy.”

Kidd will succeed Professor Emeritus Ellen Hodnett in the role. Hodnett, who has served as ombudsperson since 2015, taught in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing for 39 years and became the first nursing research chair in Canada in 1996.

“Professor Hodnett has brought a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight to her role as University Ombudsperson,” Kennedy said. “Her legacy will have a lasting impact on the fabric of the institution.”

As for Kidd, he has devoted much of his career to sport, equity and leadership.

While still in high school, he ran with the East York Track Club under the guidance of Fred Foot, who was also a U of T track coach.

He said he soon learned, with the help of his fellow teammates, that sport was often not a level playing field. Whereas his male teammates changed in a locker room with showers, he said female runners were left to change in their cars or behind a tree.

Kidd added that his education continued as a member of Team Canada when Harry Jerome, an Olympic teammate at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo and bronze medalist in the 100-metres showed him how racism existed even at sport’s highest levels.

“When I was rebellious and caused trouble or spoke out, people would say, ‘That’s just Bruce being Bruce,’” Kidd recalled. “But when Harry did that, they would call him a quitter, out-of-line and worse – all kinds of terrible things.”

Kidd retired from running after Tokyo but continued to use his status as a well-known Canadian athlete to condemn racism, sexism and homophobia in sport. He sought to persuade athletes and organizations not to engage with apartheid South Africa. In a 1968 television interview alongside Jerome, Kidd said segregation had no place in sport. He later became the Canadian director of the international campaign against apartheid in sport.

Kidd began teaching at the university in 1970 after earning degrees at U of T, the University of Chicago and York University. As the founding dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education from 1998 to 2010, he oversaw construction of the Varsity Centre, with a 5,000-seat stadium, a track and artificial playing field. He introduced staff training on homophobia in sport and prioritized gender equity.

He also served as warden of Hart House from 2011 to 2015 and became the 10th vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough in 2014. In his four years as principal, he was known for his approachability, regularly inviting students and faculty on walks around campus.

“There was method to my madness,” he said. “I would take advantage of my walks to knock on doors and talk to people. I’m an old-fashioned communicator.”

Kidd serves on the board of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, where diving and swimming events were staged during the 2015 Pan American Games and Parapan American Games. Now co-owned by the City of Toronto and U of T, the state-of-the-art complex includes a 35,000 square foot field house and 10-lane pool designed to international standards.

At a farewell reception for Kidd’s retirement, former student union leader Sitharsana Srithas was among those who praised Kidd’s advocacy.

“Your commitment to equity and inclusion has always been something that inspired me and several other student leaders,” she said.

Kidd has earned many awards and accolades over the years. That includes being appointed to the Order of Canada in 2004 in part for his work in “eradicating sexism and racism in sporting communities around the world” and being made a member of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame not once – but twice (as an athlete and as a builder). He’s written several books on the history and political economy of sports, with a memoir called A Runner’s Journey to be published this fall.

His plans for his first days in the office of ombudsperson include implementing the recommendations of the Report of the Review Committee, including reaching out to multiple stakeholders withing the university community including student government leaders and academic leaders.

“The to-do list is defined by who comes in the door,” he said.

Although he has gotten to know each of U of T’s three campuses intimately over a lifetime of involvement with the university, Kidd said he expects to encounter new challenges in his next role.

“I know there will always be things I have to learn and I’m looking forward to learning things on the job,” he said. “But I feel I'm well-prepared.”

U of T ombudsperson lauds mandatory leave of absence policy, critiques high-pressure lab environment

geoff.vendeville — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 20:22:22 +0000

U of T ombudsperson lauds mandatory leave of absence policy, critiques high-pressure lab environment

geoff.vendeville Fri, 10/25/2019 - 16:22

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Ellen Hodnett is the ��Ƶ's ombudsperson (photo by Chris Sorensen)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Our Community

Governing Council

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Mental Health

Ombudsperson

School of Graduate Studies

Presenting her annual report to Governing Council, the independent and impartial ��Ƶ ombudsperson came out strongly in support of the university’s mandated leave of absence policy, saying it was implemented with care and compassion to the benefit of students and the wider U of T community.

Ellen Hodnett said she reviewed the eight cases in which the policy was applied in its first year and came away impressed.

“In my 44 years here, I have never been prouder to be associated with the ��Ƶ – seeing the extreme care, diligence, respectfulness and compassion with which the policy was applied in each case,” said Hodnett, who is a professor emerita at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.

The mandated leave policy was intended to provide the university with a way to help students who display concerning behaviour indicative of extreme mental health challenges or serious health issues. The policy is meant to be used only in exceptional circumstances when all other efforts to accommodate students have been unsuccessful.

Hodnett said the policy, approved last year, offered a welcome alternative to the punitive, disciplinary measures – such as expulsion – that had previously constituted the university's only recourse in such circumstances.

“Students are now being offered the help they need without ending up with police records and an expulsion from the university,” Hodnett told Governing Council on Thursday, adding that the eight students who received assistance under the policy in the previous academic year, as well as the wider university community, were protected from serious harm.

The policy was created on the recommendation of Hodnett's predecessor in the Office of the Ombudsperson, who highlighted the need for a new approach in the office’s 2014-2015 annual report. Hodnett said her predecessor was concerned about students who pose a serious danger to themselves or the university community due to a major mental health challenge. Until the policy was created, those students risked police records or disciplinary action.

Hodnett said she is concerned that misinformation surrounding the policy will have a chilling effect on students seeking mental health support. “The mandated leave policy is both evidence-based and fair,” she said. “The continuing protests against the policy are neither evidence-based nor fair.”

Established in 1975 and accountable to the Governing Council, the ombudsperson's office helps members of the university community resolve concerns by offering advice and assistance, as well as issuing recommendations for changes in academic or administrative procedures.

Hodnett assumed the role after nearly four decades of teaching at the Faculty of Nursing. She started her career as a psychiatric nurse before shifting her research focus to labour and delivery.

In her annual report released this week, Hodnett writes that the Office of the Ombudsperson handled 310 cases in 2018-2019, 41 fewer than the previous academic year. Although the numbers were lower, she said the cases were greater in complexity and required more investigations and inquiries, a category of assistance introduced last year.

Healthy labs

On another note, Hodnett recommended launching an initiative to improve the environment of some basic science laboratories, which can be fertile ground for disagreements between students and faculty supervisors.

Student lab researchers and their supervisors often work in close quarters, facing institutional expectations and competition for resources that can lead to tension.

“I am well aware that this problem is not unique to the ��Ƶ, but rather is found in universities worldwide,” she said in her report.

She recommends developing and implementing a strategy that “identifies, celebrates, and effectively communicates the characteristics of optimum learning environments for students in basic science laboratories.”

In an interview with U of T News, she added: “U of T has already taken up my suggestion and is running with it, and nothing makes me happier than that.”

Joshua Barker, dean of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), welcomed the report and said the labs issue was already on the school’s radar, and that there are plans in place to address it.

In the coming weeks, SGS will appoint a special adviser – one with knowledge of the U of T community and the lab setting – to report on best practices for creating a healthy lab atmosphere and the established scholarship on the issue. SGS expects to receive the adviser’s observations and recommendations by the end of this academic year.

“I think what we need to do is create a culture that really does celebrate healthy labs in all respects – both in terms of a sense of safety, but also healthy relationships among students, post-docs and principal investigators,” Barker said.

While the university has many excellent supervisors and labs, Barker said in some circumstances the pressure to produce results quickly and meet funding requirements may lead to conflict.

“We want to create as healthy an environment as we possibly can and make sure our students’ needs are prioritized.”

U of T's ombudsperson expands office presence to all three campuses

noreen.rasbach — Fri, 18 May 2018 14:00:58 +0000

U of T's ombudsperson expands office presence to all three campuses

noreen.rasbach Fri, 05/18/2018 - 10:00

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Ellen Hodnett, U of T’s ombudsperson, says even in the age of email and social media, there’s no substitute for face-to-face meetings (photo by Chris Sorensen)

Topic

Smartphones and social media have left us more connected than ever, but there are still times when a personal touch is needed.

That’s among the reasons Ellen Hodnett, the ��Ƶ’s ombudsperson, recommended that the office expand its physical presence to U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough. The move will see an Ombuds Officer located on each U of T campus in an attempt to build more awareness of the office and its unique role in helping ensure fairness across the university.

“Nothing takes the place, or offers the fundamental value, of face-to-face meetings,” says Hodnett, who is completing her initial three-year term at the end of June and has just been re-appointed for an additional one-year term. She added that the new structure, first recommended in her 2016-2017 annual report, “fits with the governance model the university now has, with campus councils handling a lot of decisions at both UTM and UTSC and, of course, tri-campus decisions coming to Governing Council.”

Governing Council approved the change Thursday as part of the Report of the Committee to Review the Office of the University Ombudsperson.

Calling her an “outstanding” ombudsperson, Governing Council member and chair of the review committee Harvey Botting is thankful Hodnett agreed to stay on to help implement the new structure of U of T’s Office of the Ombudsperson.

“She took the office a long way and, in this next year, will take it even further,” Botting says.

First established in 1975, U of T’s Office of the Ombudsperson operates independently of university administration and help students, staff, faculty and even alumni deal with university-related issues and complaints when all other avenues have been exhausted. The office also alerts Governing Council and the university leadership of broader systemic issues that need attention.

All matters brought to the ombudsperson are strictly confidential – even the fact the office was contacted – unless complainants agree otherwise.

While the vast majority of queries currently arrive at Hodnett’s desk by email, she says previous efforts to build connections with Mississauga and Scarborough through other electronic means like Twitter, Facebook and Skype failed to achieve the desired results. She says it’s likely because each campus has its own unique culture, requiring “someone who … knows the system, processes and the people on that campus.”

In total, the U of T ombudsperson handled 339 cases in the 2016-2017 academic year and closed more than 90 per cent of them, according to the most recent annual report.

That includes about 100 cases deemed outside of the university’s jurisdiction. Unusual for a post-secondary institution, U of T’s ombudsperson helps guide complainants who don’t belong to the university community – say, someone who is walking through campus. “While it’s not our business to be directly involved, we try to help the person know where to go with the problem,” Hodnett says.

Of the cases within the ombudsperson’s purview, the vast majority were brought forward by undergraduate or graduate students and dealt with issues surrounding grading practices or administrative policies.

However, Hodnett says there was also noticeable uptick in complaints stemming from personal interactions.

“It’s not a surprise that, with the whole #MeToo phenomenon, there’s more people coming forward with, not necessarily sexual harassment complaints, but complaints about bad behaviour,” says Hodnett, who previously spent 39 years teaching in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and has served as a teaching staff member of the Governing Council and as Chair of the Academic Board.

Often, the job of U of T ombudsperson is merely to point students, staff and faculty to the relevant resources on campus, or to explain how various resolution processes work, according to Hodnett. She only becomes more deeply involved if all those other avenues have been closed off, calling the Office of the Ombudsperson “an office of last resort.”

Though Hodnett’s job means she deals with U of T’s most difficult conflicts, she nevertheless describes her experience over the past three years as overwhelmingly positive. In particular, she’s been impressed by the dedication of U of T’s frontline staff.

“We can’t fix all the problems – social, emotional or otherwise – that people bring with them,” Hodnett says, noting the university is the size of a small city.

“But there are enormous resources at this university, both human and otherwise, that can help a lot – and if they don’t, that’s where my office has a role.”

Mental health, academic conduct are focus of Joan Foley’s final report

sgupta — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 07:23:23 +0000

Mental health, academic conduct are focus of Joan Foley’s final report sgupta Wed, 11/04/2015 - 02:23

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The ombudsperson's recommendations with regard to mental health and academic integrity have all been accepted by the university administration (above photo by Ken Jones/ photo below by Johnny Guatto)

Terry Lavender

Author legacy

Terry Lavender

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Ombudsperson

Mental Health

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Privilege to be allowed insight into so many lives, outgoing ombudsperson says

“It has been my privilege to be allowed insight into the lives of so many individual members of the University community, and the circumstances under which they work and study,” writes Joan Foley in her final report as University Ombudsperson.

“It has been a stimulating and rewarding experience that has taught me much about this institution and its challenges.”

Foley stepped down earlier this year after eight years as ombudsperson, to be replaced by Ellen Hodnett. Her final report to the university community deals with the period from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

In the report, Foley makes several recommendations to the University with regard to mental health and academic integrity, all of which have been accepted by the university administration.

Read a profile of Foley

Read a profile of Hodnett

The ombudsperson’s role is to help members of the University community by identifying options, explaining University policies, providing neutral advice and assisting parties to resolve disputes. The ombudsperson also has an obligation to bring to the attention of university administrators “those issues of broader significance that merit review,” Foley says.

According to the report, the Ombudsperson office handled 314 individual requests for assistance in 2014-2015, of which it resolved 29, provided information in 164 cases and referred 74 cases to the appropriate university department. Undergraduate students made the most requests (133), mostly about academic issues, such as instructor behaviour, exam arrangements and allegations of academic misconduct. Graduate students also made a number of requests (94), most concerning supervision problems, academic issues and financial assistance difficulties. Administrative and academic staff also contacted the Ombudsperson office about a wide variety of workplace issues.

Besides individual cases, Foley focused on two issues of broader significance: mental health and academic integrity. With regard to mental health, Foley acknowledges that U of T has made considerable progress in its efforts to support students, but says much more needs to be done. In particular, the university should develop a policy regarding “student conduct that gives rise to concern when mental illness is believed to be involved.”

With regard to academic integrity, Foley recommends improved systems support to assist instructors, department chairs and divisional offices in addressing issues of academic integrity; and interactive online resources to assist in the education of students about the importance and practice of academic integrity and to supplement existing services that assist students in the development of academic skills.

In its response to the report, the University administration accepts all of the recommendations. With regard to mental health, the university’s response says, “Divisions across the University have identified student mental health needs and the resulting implications for both academic progress and student conduct as a priority. To that end, senior administrators, instructors, and staff continue to work together on strategies to optimize the teaching and learning environment for all members of the University community.”

Regarding academic integrity, the university responds that it will “continue to seek various ways in which to encourage consistency of approach towards academic integrity across divisions,” noting that a new student-focused website on academic integrity (academicintegrity.utoronto.ca) is continually being enhanced.

“The Administration is greatly appreciative of the dedication and service of Professor Foley and her team and recognizes that their hard work benefits the University’s students, faculty, staff, and community members,” the University’s response concludes.

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