The University of Notre Dame Australia welcomes the release this week of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) report on sexual assault and sexual harassment at Australian universities.
The report highlights the results of a survey conducted last year among the country’s 39 universities, and includes the views of students on Notre Dame’s three Campuses – In Sydney, Fremantle and Broome.
The survey comprised an integral part of the Respect.Now.Always campaign, a long-term initiative by Universities Australia.
The overarching goal of Respect.Now.Always is to ensure that students and staff feel safe from sexual assault and sexual harassment, and that institutions continue to promote a culture of safety and respect on all University Campuses.
The campaign examines best practice approaches to cases of sexual assault and sexual harassment in Australia and overseas, to ensure the most well informed and comprehensive response by the higher education sector.
Notre Dame, alongside all other members of Universities Australia, undertook to publically release its own institutional report, a copy of which can be found at www.nd.edu.au/ahrc-report.
The results from Notre Dame reflect our status as a National university with campuses in each of Fremantle, Broome and Sydney. The results are not disaggregated by location.
Notre Dame Vice Chancellor, Professor Celia Hammond said the University’s participation in the survey reflects its longstanding efforts to keep improving policies and support services to keep students safe.
“Notre Dame is fully committed to taking those steps needed to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus and ensuring that the support, services and processes we provide to students who have been impacted by sexual assault or sexual harassment are excellent, visible and accessible,” said Professor Hammond.
“We recognise that what we have done thus far is not the end or completion of this task, rather, we will need to undertake regular review, continued consultation with students, staff and experts to ensure that we achieve the excellence we seek.”
Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Greg Craven said the University was serious about the safety and wellbeing of students and had taken a number of steps to ensure all its campuses were places of safety and respect.
“Sexual harassment, sexual assault or violence will never be tolerated at ACU.
“Our ACU mission has central to it the dignity of the human person and the common good. These matters are core to enacting our Mission and each of us has a responsibility to create and maintain a safe ACU community,” Professor Craven said.
“This project has been an important opportunity to consider our approach to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment. It is part of our regular practice to review these regularly, and we can ensure that there are services in place to support any student or staff member who discloses or reports any such incidents.”
Initiatives ACU has undertaken include:
- A review and upgrade of policies, procedures and guidelines
- Awareness and prevention programs to communicate with students and staff throughout the year
- Establishment of an advisory committee for consultation and advice: representatives include students, staff and a member of NSW Police
- Introduction of training for ACU counsellors, with development of broader staff training underway
- Provision of increased resources, information and support services: including adoption of the SafeZone app, enhanced CCTV services and increased access to drop-in counselling services
Resources will continue to be reviewed and developed as an ongoing commitment.
ACU is also partnering with other Australian universities in a national campaign led by Universities Australia. The Respect. Now. Always campaign highlights the determinations of Australia’s universities to ensure students and staff are safe from sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Professor Craven said ACU was committed to responding to the survey results which may lead to improvements to our policies and service enhancements. Some of the recommendations address activities the University has already undertaken as part of its standard business practice and it is looking at implementing the others. ACU is also working with UA on implementing its 10-point action plan.
“The AHRC findings released combined with our own review will strengthen ACU’s approach to preventing and responding to sexual assault and harassment,” he said.
The results of the survey of ACU students can be read by Clicking Here