International Students’ Safety Policy
Facts:
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International Students' safety is the top priority of the ISA.
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International Students are more vulnerable due to being new to this country and being exposed to violent situations alone.
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International students generally do not want to get involved in a police case or report minor abuses or attacks.
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Few International Students from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) along with 2SLGBTQ+ communities might not be comfortable with direct policing of the campus.
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International students overall support the increase in campus safety and security.
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Not all violent attacks are racially motivated.
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86 percent international graduate students, 88 percent international undergrad students, and 78 percent international BIPOC community members feel comfortable with the presence of the Edmonton Police on campus. [Survey - 475 new participation]
Resolutions:
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The International Students’ Association (ISA) shall advocate that the University of Alberta take student safety seriously and continue its investment into the University of Alberta Protective Services (UAPS).
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The ISA shall advocate that the University of Alberta Protective Services (UAPS) work more effectively and closely with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) to enhance campus security.
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The ISA shall advocate at the municipal level to ensure that international students' safety is ensured and students have a safe city to live in.
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The ISA will publicly speak/stand against any campaign or student movement that shall negatively impact the UAPS-EPS joint campus security-enhancing programs for international students’ safety in general. The ISA shall use all means at its disposal to oppose such devastating campaigns/movements.
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The ISA shall advocate for increased security personnel on the campus and various city locations including the LRT Platforms.
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The ISA shall advocate for a session in the international students' orientation to ensure students are better prepared for handling such situations.
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The ISA shall establish resources and support for the international students who are harassed on campus or in the city.
Background:
On April 24, 2021, an international student got stabbed on the University LRT Platform. ISA statement on the incident. Global news article. Edmonton Journal news article. Gateway news article 1 and article 2.
In Aug 2021, a new international student was harassed in a mall, leading to mall security intervention to safeguard the student. The student reached out to ISA and didn't want to get involved in a legal case.
In Sep 2021, another international student was harassed (punched badly) at the University LRT station. The student reached out to ISA, as he used the platform phone to report the incident, but it called ETS and they said the case will be forwarded to EPS but nothing happened after that.