The MacEwan clocktower. Amanda Erickson/The Griff

MacEwan University recently completed a fully comprehensive revision of it’s sexual violence policy that included three major changes that align with national best practices as set out by the Courage to Act Foundation.

As part of a five-year review plan, MacEwan University recently revised its sexual violence policy. The revisions to the policy and procedure included an updated name, an expanded definition of the term “sexual violence”, and minor changes throughout that are intended to clarify the reporting and response process. 

The first notable revision MacEwan made is changing the name of the policy from the “Sexual Violence Policy,” to the “Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy,” as well as changing the name of the accompanying procedure to the “Responding to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy.” According to a statement made by MacEwan, this revision “aligns the university’s approach to violence prevention with the public sector, including both provincial and federal levels of government.” 

The second major change to the policy includes an expanded definition of sexual violence which now includes definitions of technology-facilitated sexual violence and image-based sexual abuse, both of which are common forms of sexual violence experienced by young adults, according to MacEwan’s statement. This also includes the addition of indecent exposure, rape culture, sexual exploitation, and voyeurism to the expanded list of definitions, as well as an updated and more detailed definition of consent. 

“Accounting for these developments and emerging best practices in our sector was a crucial part of the most recent revision process,”

MacEwan University.

The third major revision involves multiple minor revisions that clarify the reporting and response processes to make the process easier and more transparent for members of the university community. Rather than focusing on the complaint process, the policy focuses on the university’s response to sexual violence on campus, and the steps they will take to maximize the community’s safety through education, prevention, and support. 

Since the last comprehensive revision of the policy, the Courage to Act Foundation, a national non-profit organization focused on addressing sexual and gender based violence in Canadian universities, has made recommendations regarding best practices for responding to sexual and gender-based violence in post-secondary institutions. In February 2022, the Alberta minister of advanced education requested that post-secondary institutions review their sexual violence policies and procedures to ensure they were in alignment with these best practices.

“Accounting for these developments and emerging best practices in our sector was a crucial part of the most recent revision process,” said MacEwan in an email statement to the Griff. 

The office of general counsel began the revision process last January and the policy and procedure were officially approved by the board of governors in October 2025. 

You can read the fully revised policy at www.macewan.ca/c/policies/sexual-gender-based-violence.