The conflict in the Middle East means there is no more important time for us to ensure our campuses are welcoming and safe spaces for all students and staff, including our Jewish and Muslim communities.
As our Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Scott wrote to staff and students earlier this year, we want to foster a campus where all members of our diverse community have a sense of belonging; a campus that is a place of civility and mutual respect, where everyone feels welcome, safe and included.
We abhor terrorism, violence and all breaches of human rights and humanitarian law, and are shocked and dismayed by the continued conflict and loss of life in the Middle East. We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected.
Our strong commitment to free speech in no way diminishes our zero tolerance of any form of racism, hate speech, threatening speech, bullying or unlawful harassment including anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim language or behaviour.
We are determined to be a place where the principles of freedom of speech and academic freedom are deeply valued, but where antisemitism, islamophobia, and racism in any of its forms, as well as intimidation and harassment, are never tolerated.
We worked extensively across our staff and student communities to publish the University’s Anti-Racism Statement last year, outlining our commitment to upholding human rights and to building an inclusive community in which we are all treated fairly and with dignity, as well as our commitment to truth-telling and acknowledging our past.
As Australia’s first university, we have a responsibility to model the kind of deliberative conversations our broader community needs to have about difficult issues. We need to be a place that can host multiple perspectives, and hold challenging, courageous conversations that consider the complexity of our environment.
Our Charter of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom describes how we carefully balance the right to express views, including those some might consider offensive or controversial, with the need for reasonable limits to allow teaching and research to continue safely.
We have recently launched an online module for our students, Engaging with Civility, which includes interactive scenarios to build understanding of the Student Charter and expectations at university, including respectful protest and cultural safety.
We have also updated the Guidance Note on Freedom of Expression for students to highlight that this right does not extend to the disruption of lectures and classes, preventing other students from learning. It also does not extend to harassing or intimidating staff and students who may hold a different view or simply do not wish to engage in protest or debate. It means not exercising freedom of expression in a way designed to limit others exercising their freedom of expression.
We know that coordinated and timely responses to matters relating to the safety and wellbeing of our community is vital and recently updated reporting for staff, affiliates, and the public who have experienced, witnessed or been made aware of bullying, harassment, or discrimination in our community related to staff members.
Our Employee Assistance Program offers 24/7 confidential counselling for staff and their families. We also encourage colleagues on the frontlines of public discourse and debate to review the public engagement and online safety resources on the intranet.
We respond to all complaints received and carefully consider the specific circumstances of each situation, prioritising safety where necessary; if we believe that there may have been a breach of our policies or codes of conduct or a threat to safety, we take appropriate action consistent with our policies and the law.
Students can explore our student life, wellbeing and support webpage or talk with one of our University counsellors.
Now more than ever, it is important for us to be guided by our values of trust, accountability and excellence, as well as our aspiration to be a community that thrives through diversity and one that is committed to the principle of disagreeing well.