A new Carleton University Human Rights Policy and Procedures was presented to the Senior Management Committee 29th January 2025 and approved.

The Government of Ontario passed Bill 166 – Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports (Bill 166, Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024 – Legislative Assembly of Ontario) in May of 2024. On September 9, 2024, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) issued ‘Minister’s directive on anti-racism and anti-hate for publicly assisted colleges and universities’ under Bill 166 to all universities and colleges directing post-secondary institutions to implement policies and procedures on Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate by January 31, 2025.

The Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities took the lead in drafting a new Human Rights Policy along with updated Procedures that will fulfill the Ministry’s directives.

In view of the very limited timeline that has been imposed by the MCU, there was insufficient time to allow for a full series of consultation meetings as was originally intended. Instead, to ensure we meet the Ministry’s deadline, we proceeded with email and online consultations during the month of November through to the first two weeks of December 2024.

Purpose of the new Human Rights Policy

The new Human Rights Policy is to articulate Carleton’s commitment to Discrimination and Harassment prevention and response. It will also serve to affirm the human rights and dignity of every Carleton community member. The updated Procedures will provide a framework for the exercise and respect of these rights, as well as provide a fair and impartial mechanism to assert and respect everyone’s rights in accordance with the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness.

Consultation Timelines

November  to December 2024:

  • Email and online consultations with student unions/groups, as well as staff and faculty unions and groups.
  • The new Human Rights Policy and Procedures was presented to Senate.

End of December 2024 to early January 2025:

  • Revision of the new Human Rights Policy and Procedures with consideration of feedback from Carleton community members.

January 2025:

  • The proposed policy was presented to the Senior Management Committee for approval.

Consultation Feedback Summary

As a consequence of the limited time available for implementation of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities’ Directives dated September 9, 2024 with a deadline of January 31, 2025, the consultations held for the new Human Rights Policy and Procedures were mainly online through a dedicated webpage. In addition, EIC identified and invited several stakeholders to partake in the consultation process on the draft Human Rights Policy and Procedures:

  • Student/employee groups dedicated to supporting students/employees from equity deserving groups
  • staff union members
  • faculty union members

The feedback received on the proposed draft Human Rights Policy and Procedures was evenly distributed across the community between students, staff, and faculty. Feedback came in primarily through the consultation feedback form online, as well as via email, and following the presentation to the Senate in November 2025.

The feedback received was both helpful and insightful, much of which informed revisions to the draft Human Rights Policy and Procedures. The feedback touched on terms used within the draft as well as processes that required further clarification. Certain feedback received will help to inform the corresponding guidelines which EIC will produce to support the decision-making process on potential violations of the policy. Any feedback that could not be incorporated at this time will be considered within the review process prior to the renewal of the policy in 2028.