Australian Human Rights Commission
Respect at Uni Interim Report
December 2024
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................. 5
Note on terminology and content ...................................................................... 5
Commissioner’s Foreword ................................................................................... 7
Executive Summary ............................................................................................. 9
1
Study Overview ........................................................................................ 11
1.1
Role of the Commission ......................................................................... 12
(a)
Expertise and capability of the Commission to conduct the Study ............. 14
1.2
Study Objectives and Scope ................................................................... 15
(a)
Aim and objectives ............................................................................................. 15
(b)
Scope ................................................................................................................... 16
(c)
Research questions and approach .................................................................. 16
(d)
Deliverables ........................................................................................................ 17
2
Current developments ............................................................................ 18
2.1
Inquiry into a Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian
Universities Bill ...................................................................................... 18
(a)
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights ........................................ 19
2.2
Government Initiatives .......................................................................... 19
(a)
Australian Universities Accord.......................................................................... 20
(b)
National Student Ombudsman ........................................................................ 20
(c)
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) ......................... 20
(d)
Special Envoys .................................................................................................... 21
(e)
Commonwealth Criminal Offences (September 2024) ................................. 21
(f)
Anti-doxxing measures ...................................................................................... 22
(g)
Social Cohesion Grants ..................................................................................... 22
2.3
Australian Human Rights Commission Initiatives ................................. 22
(a)
National Anti-Racism Strategy ......................................................................... 22
(b)
Department of Home Affairs Social Cohesion Measures Grant .................. 26
2.4
University Initiatives.............................................................................. 27
(a)
Universities Australia ......................................................................................... 28
(b)
Group of Eight .................................................................................................... 28
(c)
Examples of individual university initiatives .................................................. 28
3
Initial insights .......................................................................................... 31
3.1
Experiences of racism are pervasive ..................................................... 31
(a)
National Tertiary Education Union Survey - 2nd Report on Cultural Respect,
Racial Discrimination, Lateral Violence and Related Policy at Australia’s
Universities.......................................................................................................... 31
(b)
Australian Jewish University Student Experience Survey .............................. 32
2