Most faculty members do their jobs honorably and need minimal oversight from administrators. But when faculty behavior involves an abuse of a position of trust or a breach of professional standards, administrators are faced with a dilemma. Often there are no clear-cut answers, especially in a unionized environment, and administrators must make important decisions about such incidents, considering their responsibility to their students and to their colleagues. This conference will provide legal advice, in jargon-free language, on how to address faculty misconduct or alleged misconduct both on and off campus.

This Conference is for Senior Administrators in Colleges and Universities across Canada: Deans, Human Resources, Legal, Faculty Relations, Labour Relations, Health, Safety, and Security.

Topics
  • A legal lens on faculty misconduct
  • How to handle complaints and investigations
  • Sexual assault misconduct
  • Navigating academic research misconduct
  • Accommodating mental health and/or substance use disorder in the context of misconduct
  • How to deal with media
  • When does freedom of speech or expression become misconduct
  • Assess the pros and cons of a whistleblower program
Speaker Organizations
  • The University of British Columbia
  • Hicks Morley
  • Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
  • Rubin Thomlinson LLP
  • Yorkville University
  • TurnpenneyMilne LLP
Speakers
Learn about the Speakers for the 2024 Faculty Misconduct in Higher Ed Canada Virtual Conference
Dr. Arig al Shaibah
Associate Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion | The University of British Columbia
Jonathan Maier
Partner | Hicks Morley
Dan Michaluk
Partner and National Co-Leader, Cybersecurity Group | Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Teagan Markin
Senior Associate | Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Elizabeth Bingham
Partner | Rubin Thomlinson LLP
Liliane Gingras
Partner | Rubin Thomlinson LLP
Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes
President & Vice Chancellor | Yorkville University
Asha Rampersad
Lawyer | Turnpenney Milne LLP
Agenda
View the Agenda and Learn about the Topics for the 2024 Faculty Misconduct in Higher Ed Canada Virtual Conference

10:30 am – 10:45 am (EDT)

Welcome and Opening Remarks

10:45 am – 11:45 am (EDT)

A Legal Lens on Faculty Misconduct
  • Procedural issues and communications management
  • Working with internal university stakeholders – assembling the evidence
  • Off-duty conduct and respectful workplace requirements – balancing the tension
  • Processing and proving discipline cases at arbitration – what to expect

11:45 am – 11:55 am (EDT)

Screen Break

11:55 am – 12:55 pm (EDT)

Academic Integrity and Research Misconduct: Insights on Institutional Prevention and Response
  • What is academic integrity and why is it essential?
  • What types of academic misconduct have faculty and administrators engaged in?
  • How prevalent is academic misconduct in Canada and what are some of the contributing factors (including AI)?
  • What policy changes have made in Canada to strengthen research integrity?
  • What steps should institutions take to combat misconduct?

12:55 pm – 1:05 pm (EDT)

Screen Break

1:05 pm – 2:05 pm (EDT)

Freedom of Expression, Academic Freedom and Misconduct

Academic freedom lies at the core of the mission of the university. Universities must defend it together with the broader expressive rights of their community members, yet have legitimate competing interests and obligations. Neither academic freedom nor the right of free expression provide a license to break the law, be dishonest, or breach ethical and disciplinary standards. Requiring civility and striving for inclusion is no doubt legitimate, but taken too far can impinge on expression and constrain teaching and research.

What is the difference between academic freedom and freedom of expression? Where is the legal line? When does expression violate the law or constitute harassment or threats? What mechanisms can administrators use to resolve these issues?

Some areas we will cover:

  • Crisis planning
  • Campus speakers protest prep and response
  • Hate speech
  • Considerations for student fees and clubs
  • Academic freedom
  • Free speech zones
  • Student newspapers and yearbooks
  • Social media speech

2:05 pm – 3:00 pm (EDT)

Facilitated Discussion and Chairperson’s Reflections, Insights and Closing Remarks

10:30 am – 10:45 am (EDT)

Welcome and Opening Remarks

10:45 am – 11:45 am (EDT)

When Mental Illness and/or Addiction is a Complicating Factor in Faculty Misconduct
  • Understanding the ways in which mental health overlaps with investigative issues, including human rights, policies and legal obligations and misconduct
  • How to handle mental health concerns before, during and after a misconduct investigation
  • Strategies for mitigating any negative mental health impacts of the investigation
  • Mental health effects of the investigation

11:45 am – 11:55 am (EDT)

Screen Break

11:55 am – 12:55 pm (EDT)

Addressing Faculty Sexual Misconduct at Postsecondary Institutions

The legal rules which may govern student and staff or faculty relationships.

  • Essential steps and potential interim measures while investigating sexual misconduct
  • New legislation and trends in the sector
  • Best practices for compliance and implementation in a unionized workplace
  • Practical tips on conducting investigations into sexual misconduct using a trauma-informed approach

12:55 pm – 1:05 pm (EDT)

Screen Break

1:05 pm – 2:05 pm (EDT)

Understanding the Role of a Whistleblower Safe Disclosure Program
  • What is a whistleblower program and what does it do
  • The whistleblower landscape in Canada
  • The components of an effective whistleblower program  – what does a whistleblower program entail?
  • Benefits and challenges of whistleblower programs
  • Key considerations when deciding whether to implement a whistleblower program

2:05 pm – 3:00 pm (EDT)

Facilitated Discussion and Chairperson’s Reflections, Insights and Closing Remarks
Virtual Conference Details
What You Will Receive at the 2024 Faculty Misconduct in Higher Ed Canada Virtual Conference

Attend this conference from wherever you are and hear our faculty of experts share their expertise and insights on optimizing your approach to faculty misconduct. Share your comments, get answers to your questions and have your say in the discussion just as you would at an in-person event:

  • Full access to all presentation materials
  • Participation in sessions in real-time
  • Full access to a recording of the event to view at your convenience
Registration Details
Everything you need to know to Register for the 2024 Faculty Misconduct in Higher Ed Canada Virtual Conference

REGISTRATION FEE

REGULAR RATES

Individual Rate | $495 + HST each
Group Rate (2 or more) | $395 + HST each

Your registration fee includes full access to all presentation materials, participation in sessions in real time, and full access to a recording of the event to view at your convenience for three (3) months.

Payment can be made by all major credit cards. Payment can also be made by cheque by emailing info@birchmountgroup.com and requesting an invoice.

Substitutions can be made at any time. If you are unable to attend, a colleague may take your place at the event. Simply contact us so we can be sure your colleague receives full access to the conference materials, a name badge, and a seat reserved at the conference.

BIRCHMOUNT CONFERENCES GROUP reserves the right to cancel any conference it deems necessary. In the unlikely event that a conference is cancelled, BIRCHMOUNT CONFERENCES GROUP’s liability is limited to paid registration fees.

BIRCHMOUNT CONFERENCE GROUP also reserves the right to change the date, location, and content for event(s) offered herein without further notice and assumes no liability for such changes.

Resource Centre
Speaker Presentations and Toolkits for 2024 Faculty Misconduct in Higher Ed Canada Delegates

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