Queen’s has launched an online platform through which campus community members can anonymously submit instances of harassment, discrimination, and acts of hate or violence targeting personal characteristics protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Named IN-SIGHT, the platform gathers anonymized information about incidents experienced or witnessed by students, faculty, or staff. That information will then be used to help inform and develop university policy, programming, services, and other prevention and response initiatives to counter these issues.

“When people experience harassment or discrimination, they almost inevitably face difficult choices as well as a range of complex emotions,” says Stephanie Simpson, Associate Vice-Principal (Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusion). “Sometimes, a person may feel reluctant to make a formal complaint about these incidents but may still wish to share their experience and have it contribute to positive systemic change — an opportunity IN-SIGHT empowers. IN-SIGHT allows information from aggregate anonymous accounts to be heard and to contribute to the university’s efforts toward greater equity, inclusivity, and safety for all.”

The information collected from IN-SIGHT will be used to identify systemic trends, which in turn will assist in the design and refinement of anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and anti-harassment strategies and programs at the university. Key statistics will be collected by the university’s Human Rights & Equity Office yearly and compiled in a report that will be accessible to all members of the Queen’s community via their website.

“The IN-SIGHT tool will allow the university to gain a more detailed understanding of the experiences of its students, staff, and faculty, as they pertain to issues of harassment and discrimination,” says Jermaine Marshall, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Advisor with the Human Rights and Equity Office. “We expect to learn a great deal from the information our Queen’s community chooses to share through this new platform, particularly during its pilot stages — learnings that will assist us greatly in ensuring our campus is as safe and welcoming as possible.”

IN-SIGHT is not a formal reporting and complaint tool, and instead works to complement the university’s broader work to address harassment and discrimination within its campus community. Students, staff, or faculty interested in making an official report or complaint, as well as Persons of Authority who are obligated to report incidents in their area of authority, must do so under the new Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy.

Learn more about the IN-SIGHT Harassment, Discrimination, and Bias/Hate Incident Anonymous Submission Form on Queen’s Human Rights and Equity Office website.