A team of professionals will help represent students through the new Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

The office was formed as part of a larger restructuring effort of the Office of Student Experience and review of the University of Windsor’s Student Non-Academic Misconduct Procedure, following a campus-wide consultative process by Charles C. Smith Consulting, the working group on restructuring of the Office of Student Experience, and the Anti-Black Racism Task Force.

The establishment of the new office is rooted in inclusive best practices, diverse campus expertise, student needs and lived experiences, said Clinton Beckford, vice-president of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

“It became clear in recent years that the Office of Student Experience should not have responsibility for investigation and discipline stemming from student non-academic misconduct matters,” Dr. Beckford said. “The University of Windsor delivered on its promise to take measurable steps to enhance the student experience.”

Formerly intake co-ordinator of student conduct, Olatoke Adeboboye has been appointed manager, student rights and responsibilities, effective immediately. In her new role, Adeboboye will facilitate restorative practices while advocating for less punitive approaches towards behavioural incidents.

Once Sukanya Pillay completes her term as interim associate vice-president of human resources at the end of November, she will begin her new appointment as executive director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, effective Dec. 1. Pillay is a lawyer steeped in legal practice and teaching of equality laws, EDI principles, anti-racism and anti-oppression, and the principles of natural justice and fairness.

In the coming months, she will take over the revision of the student conduct policy and the student non-academic misconduct procedures while consulting with governing bodies and partners across campus.

The new team will initially report to Beckford as the office unfolds, in keeping with recommendations from the Smith Report.