According to an email sent out to Trinity College students during reading week, the Heads Team and Dean of Students office are working with an external facilitator to help with the mediation process following the vote of no-confidence in the Dean’s office this September.

They also announced that Saints Ball, Trinity’s annual licensed charity semiformal, would be held as usual, ending Provost Mayo Moran’s ban on alcohol-licensed events, albeit conditionally. The event was held from November 18–19.

“Temporary postponement of licensed events depends on student behaviour during [Saints Ball],” said Co-Head of College Victoria Lin when asked prior to the semiformal.

The email added that the Heads Team and the Office of the Dean of Students are undergoing mediation “to restore trust and our positive working relationship.” The two parties will meet with the facilitator again on November 20 to see “where things stand,” according to Co-Head of Arts Lukas Weese.

The external facilitator, Chris McGrath, was appointed by Moran. He is currently the Associate Vice-President Student Experience and Registrar at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. McGrath has years of experience working with students, including a term as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at U of T from 2006–2011.

“As our discussions to date have been positive, we were able to proceed with the Saints Ball in a manner that helps to preserve a fun and positive experience, while emphasizing safety for all students. The Heads Team and Dean’s Office are committed to continuing to work together to ensure a positive student experience at Trinity,” said Dean of Students Kristen Moore.

A new rule was introduced at Saints Ball this year, ending in-and-out privileges to the event. People attempting to exit and re-enter risked having their admission wristbands cut off. The purpose, the Facebook event page message said, was to “maintain student safety.”

Saints co-chairs Gabriel Ferland and Viktoriya Mykhaylychenko said in a joint statement, “We are unsure as to how much this had to do with the Heads Team and Dean of Students, as Saints has always been a difficult event to control and the Dean’s Office has always tried to find new ways to maximize security.”

Meanwhile, as the Heads Team and the Dean’s office work together to rebuild trust, Co-Head of Non-Resident Affairs Mitch Nader said, “Things are progressing normally for the rest of the student body.”

“Students can, and have always been able to, go to the dean’s office with their concerns,” confirmed Nader.

The Provost of Trinity College, Mayo Moran, has suspended events with alcohol licenses across the college, citing “a concern for student safety,” according to a statement released by the student heads of Trinity.

The event ban comes two weeks after Trinity College students passed a vote of no-confidence in the Office of the Dean of Students at the Trinity College Meeting (TCM), Trinity’s direct-democracy student government, and one week after TCM Chair Leila Martin wrote a letter to the Board of Trustees requesting an investigation into allegations made against the Dean’s office.

Trinity College regularly hosts licensed events where alcohol is sold to students who are of age. These events require a Special Occasion Permit, issued by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, and must be approved by the Dean’s office beforehand. At this time, all licensed events have been banned at the college, but non-licensed events will continue as planned.

On October 13, the Head’s team met with the Provost; Monavari said that they discussed “safety, developing transparency and accountability between student leaders and administrators, and clarifying roles in different echelons of Trinity governance.”

Monavari said that the ban is “a temporary measure” put in place by the Provost “in light of the vote of non-confidence.” It is unclear how long the ban will be in effect. 

Monavari said that “events are integral to the social fabric of” the college and that the two parties are “swiftly working to resolve these issues.”

A meeting is currently being scheduled by the Provost for the student Heads and the Office of the Dean of Students to discuss future steps.

Monavari is at the centre of one of the allegations outlined in Martin’s letter. During a residence party at Trinity on September 23, Monavari was allegedly assaulted by a Campus Police officer when he was pointed out by Assistant Dean of Students for Residence Life Adam Hogan and Assistant Dean of Students for Student Life Christine Cerullo, who allegedly stood idle while Monavari was assaulted. Monavari claims to have been uninvolved with the residence party, and has since issued a formal complaint to Campus Police.

Moran and the Office of the Dean of Students did not respond to The Varsity request for comment as of press time.