The Dalhousie community has been shocked by revelations of offensive and misogynistic Facebook posts that came to light in December. The posts, many of which were about female students in the Faculty of Dentistry, were made by fellow fourth-year Dentistry students in a private Facebook group. The posts’ content has generated national media attention and sparked broad conversations about misogyny, sexism and the importance of inclusion and respect.

 The situation has been a complicated, evolving one. Below is the compendium of five major developments in the University’s response to this situation to date.

Restorative justice process underway

The restorative justice process, intended to repair the harm caused, began in mid-December and is ongoing. (For more on restorative justice, you can read our Dal News story on the topic.)

Issue under review by Dentistry Academic Standards committee

The Faculty of Dentistry’s Academic Standards Class Committee (ASCC) is reviewing the actions of those students involved in the Facebook posts.

The Dentistry ASCC has broad authority over academic performance including professionalism. Its powers include the authority to create remediation plans where warranted, and to recommend academic dismissal. This committee also recommends students for graduation.

“The committee will assess the situation of each individual and ensure that any individual recommended for graduation will have complied with the professionalism requirements of the academic program,” said Dr. Boran, Dean, Faculty of Dentistry. “No student will be permitted to graduate unless they have done so.”

13 students suspended from clinical activities and will not attend classes with the rest of their classmates

Students in Dalhousie’s DDS program are required to complete work in Dalhousie’s dental clinics as part of their degree requirements. The suspended students will not be able to participate in any clinic activities while the Academic Standards Class Committee’s consideration is ongoing. The students will not work with the public or directly with classmates in that setting.

President launches external investigation of the Faculty of Dentistry

Leading the Task Force on Misogyny, Sexism and Homophobia in the Faculty of Dentistry will be Professor Constance Backhouse of the University of Ottawa. Professor Backhouse holds the positions of Distinguished University Professor and University Research Chair at the University of Ottawa, and is internationally recognized for her work on sex discrimination and the legal history of gender and race in Canada. She is a Member of the Order of Ontario, a member of the Order of Canada, and a Fellow of the Royal Society.

“Given the facts known to date, we need to have an independent third-party assessment of the environment within our Faculty of Dentistry,” wrote President Florizone, sharing the terms of reference for the task force and indicating the final reports will be made public.

Dean of Law Kim Brooks to lead strategic initiative on diversity and inclusiveness

The University also announced that Kim Brooks, in partnership with Senate, will lead a strategic initiative on building a collegial culture of respect and inclusiveness. This is one of 25 initiatives that make up Dalhousie’s existing strategic plan.

For more information

Visit: dal.ca/cultureofrespect. It includes the latest news about this evolving situation as well as answers to many of the common questions that the University has received.