This week, staff and students across Australia will receive an invitation to participate in the Racism@Uni Survey, an independent and confidential study led by the Australian Human Rights Commission and conducted by researchers from the Centre for Social Policy Research (POLIS) at the Australian National University.

About the survey

This survey seeks to examine prevalence, nature, and impact of racism in universities. It includes questions about interpersonal, bystander, institutional, and structural racism, and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.

The survey is independent and anonymous, ensuring your responses are confidential.

The Australian Human Rights Commission will report on the findings and make recommendations to the Australian government and universities.

Who can take part

Participation is entirely voluntary and open to:

• students studying onshore and either:   
  • attending onshore campuses
  • residing in Australia for the term/semester and undertaking an external program of study via distance education or online. 
• all staff members

All participants must be 18 years or over.

Upon completion, participants can opt to enter a draw to win one of fifty $50 gift cards.

When will you get your invitation?

You will receive an email to your student inbox from the University containing a unique survey link on Thursday 14 August.

You will also receive reminder emails over the next few weeks, regardless of whether you have completed the survey. This approach was approved as part of the ethics process and is essential to maintaining the integrity and robustness of the survey methodology.

If you have completed the survey, you do not need to take any further action and can ignore the reminder emails.

Where to get support

We recognise that reflecting on experiences of racism can be distressing. If you need help, please reach out to the following support services:

• Student Wellbeing
• +61 2 8627 8433 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
• 1300 474 065 or by texting 0488 884 429 (after hours) 

Reporting racial discrimination

If you are a student and you need to report an incident of racial discrimination, you can:

• call our confidential helpline: 1800 SYD HLP (1800 793 457)
• make a complaint online

Need further support? Explore student support options here.