Editing University of Victoria (section)

===Department of Political Science Chilly Climate Report===
On May 11, 1992, the Department of Political Science created the committee to Make the Department More Supportive to Women as a response to concerns regarding the experiences of graduate and undergraduate students.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=http://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |title=Report of the Climate Committee to the Department of Political Science |last=University of Victoria (B.C.). Climate Committee to the Department of Political Science |date=23 March 1993 |pages=1–7 |access-date=27 September 2019 |archive-date=17 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717235832/https://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |url-status=live }}</ref> The committee was made up of five female undergraduate students and Dr. Somer Brodribb, an untenured professor working in the department.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |url=http://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |title=UVic's poli-sci faculty divided by war of sexes |last1=Helm |first1=Denis |date=23 April 1993 |access-date=24 September 2019 |website=Times-colonist |archive-date=17 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717235832/https://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |url-status=live }}</ref> Later, this committee was unofficially called the "Chilly Climate" or Climate Committee within the department.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=http://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |title=Sexual-politics battle rages in university |last1=Wilson |first1=Deborah |date=19 April 1993 |access-date=24 September 2019 |website=Globe and Mail |archive-date=17 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717235832/https://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |url-status=live }}</ref> "Chilly Climate" is a term used by the [[Project on the Status and Education of Women]]. 
A preliminary report published by the Climate Committee to the Department of Political Science on March 23, 1993, which looked at the experience of both faculty and students at the University of Victoria issued recommendations that, in their eyes, would make the department more hospitable to female students while also highlighting the experiences of female students which the committee found troubling.<ref name=":0" /> These recommendations included the establishment of a committee for addressing issues that were raised in the report, the creation of formal policies addressing race and gender discrimination, and workshops for faculty on race and gender issues in the classroom environment.<ref name=":0" /> Notably, the preliminary report also highlighted the importance of including classroom content from feminist perspectives and more texts authored by female scholars.<ref name=":0" />

In response to this report, tenured professors of the political science department Robert Bedeski, Colin Bennett, Ron Cheffins, Warren Magusson, Terry Morley, Norman Ruff, Rob Walker, and Jeremy Wilson challenged what they perceived to be slander from Dr. Brodribb, who chaired the committee.<ref name=":2" /> They requested that Dr. Brodribb allow an investigation into the allegations of sexist behaviour in the Chilly Climate report.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |url=http://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |title=Report of the Climate Committee to the Department of Political Science |last=University of Victoria (B.C.). Climate Committee to the Department of Political Science |year=1993 |pages=36–40 |chapter=Gender equality in the department of the Political Science. A Responses from the Tenured Faculty to the Report of the Climate Committee |access-date=2019-09-27 |archive-date=2021-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717235832/https://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |url-status=live }}</ref> Dr. Bodribb refused, stating that this went against the agreement her committee made with the women interviewed and could expose them to further discrimination.<ref name=":1" /> If the evidence was not handed over the tenured professors requested a complete withdrawal of the statements made in the Chilly Climate report and an apology that would be distributed to all those who saw the report.<ref name=":3" /> They also mentioned seeking further action if Dr. Brodribb did neither of these things.<ref name=":3" /> To review documents related to the report, one can go to the University of Victoria Libraries Special Collections.

A review committee was established by University of Victoria President David Strong, requesting advice from lawyers Beth Bilson and Thomas R. Berger to assist in evaluating the climate of the political science department.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |url=http://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |title=Report of the Climate Committee to the Department of Political Science. |last=University of Victoria (B.C.). Climate Committee to the Department of Political Science |date=21 January 1994 |pages=46 |chapter=Report of the Review Committee into the Political Science Department |access-date=27 September 2019 |archive-date=17 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717235832/https://voyager.library.uvic.ca/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=535876 |url-status=live }}</ref> They published a report in August 1993, which included recommendations that Strong later endorsed.<ref name=":4" />