The Cadre -

6 April 1999

NATIONAL News 7

Critics say Dalhousie’s new sexual harassment policy gives too much power to administrators

By KATIE TINKER

HALIFAX (CUP) Dalhousie University is feel- ing the heat as some critics say changes to the school’s sexual harassment policy pare too much power in the ands of administrators.

Until recently, mem- bers of the Dalhousie com- munity who wished to make a formal harassment com- plaint could turn to an inde- pendent panel that reviewed the situation and decided whether disciplinary action was required. If the panel ruled in favour of action, the case would be passed on to the administrator in charge of the perpetrator.

But under recent changes to the university's sexual harassment policy, the independent panel no longer exists. Now, complainants must go directly to the ad- ministrator.

Law professor Jennifer Bankier says remov- ing the independent hearing

laces too much power in the

ands of administrators, who may not fully understand har- assment cases or feel like dealing with them.

‘Often the [person handling the complaint doesn’t get the issue,’ Bankier said.

“There was one fa- mous case, where the dean was of the old school, and he

and the [accused] simply agreed that there was no problem. The complainant and the sexual harassment officer thought there was a problem, but they couldn't do anything about it,” she added.

Although the inde- pendent panel didn't have the power to make any final de- cision, Bankier says it was valuable because it presented a neutral assessment of the situation, which helped en- sure the complaint was han- died fairly throughout the

“You really need some i t to at aoe doesn’t simply get swept under the

rug. Now, the only independ- ent mechanism we had has been eliminated,” she said. Susan Brousseau, Dalhousie’s sexual harass- ment officer, disagrees. ent g on the process of iodine foomal complaints, even though in the end cases still ended up where do now: before the administrative head. Even without the inde- pendent panel, Brousseau says, complainants are still SS against a biased or i : Wy I fn rights of appeal that they would Ses wi any other

problem handled by the ad-

ae Se said.

ynn Mcintyre, dean

of health professions,

the old policy was inefficient

and says it stifled complaints. “[It) required the per-

son making the complaint to

ly tell their story,” Intyre said. “People were discouraged... because it was

Still, McIntyre ac- knowledges the new poli ahs ect. But aaa if

are any major s with the revisions they will be revealed and hopefull corrected over a six-m

Quebec sweeps senior hockey nationals Good showing for team PEI

By JASMINE HOGG

MONTREAL (CUP) — Members of Concordia Uni- versity’s women’s hockey team traded in their school stripes for the colours of Team Quebec last weekend when they traveled to Mississauga, Ont., to upset Alberta in the final of the 18th annual Esso Women’s National Championships.

The 4-2 win over the defending champion added one last gold medal to the Concordia team’s 1998-1999 season collection.

Concordia Stringer Julie Healy acted as head coach for the Quebec squad for the third year in a row and said this year’s team was the best she’s ever coached.

“We played fast, in- your-face hockey, and we didn’t let up for anybody,” Healy said after the tourna- ment.

But Quebec also

played by the rules, Healy noted — an endeavour that

earned them Most S like Team honours at the closing banquet on

Sunday. : The championship, which featured eight prov- inces including two-time de- fending champion Oval X- Treme from Alberta, showcased the best in Cana- dian women’s hockey. The tournament boasted 17 of Canada’s World Women's Hockey champions, 14 of Nagano’s 1998 Olympic sil- ver medalists, 16 members of last December's Three Na- tions Cup winners and nine la ates Under-22 National

Team.

Team Quebec opened the tournament at Mississauga’s brand new Hershey Centre with a re- sounding 4-0 win over Team Saskatchewan, then defeated Alberta 5-2 and Prince

Edward Island | 1-1 to sweep the round-robin in Pool A. In Pool B, the Beatrice Acros — Ontario's top team, star-studded with cight na- tional team members — came out on top after going unde- feated in the preliminary

giving New Brunswick a Sound 11-0 beating in the bronze medal game.

Riding their three-

unbeaten streak, Que-

went par for the course

in their semi-final round by shutting out Team New Brunswick a numbing 10-0, and advancing to the cham- pionship game against tour- nament MVP Hayle Wickenheiser and the Al- berta squad.

Allard ended the tour- nament well, collecting a to- tal of seven points on one

goal and six assists in five games. Her Stinger teammates put in equally noteworthy performances. Quebec's leading scorer,

Caroline Ouellette, was named the tournament's top scorer for her eight goals and five assists over the weekend.

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