Australian Human Rights Commission Respect at Uni Interim Report December 2024 • 32% believe their institutions provide adequate support to address these issues • nearly 70% perceive institutional communications as biased against Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. 32 (e) Initial consultations Initial consultations conducted by the Commission indicate that experiences of racism are commonplace for First Nations and other negatively racialised groups. For instance, initial consultations with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association (NATSIPA) suggested that a significant number of First Nations postgraduate students complained to NATSIPA about experiences of racism. Consistent with the Australian Jewish University Student Experience Survey, the Commission’s initial consultations with Jewish students reported escalating experiences of antisemitism on campus since October 2023. The Commission consulted with a Palestinian community group who also highlighted increased experiences of racism and Islamophobia towards Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students in university settings. First Nations academics have also reported deeply entrenched racism in consultations. 3.2 Diversity of experiences of racism Initial consultations reinforce that racism manifests in a variety of ways and is experienced differently by individuals and different groups. These insights are based on consultations to date, noting that this has not been exhaustive. The Commission will continue to engage a broad range of students and staff. However, it is clear that historical dimensions and power structures shape experiences of racism and university response. Common themes have emerged related to experiences of overt racism, as well as a pervasive experience of being excluded from systems that maintain white privilege, reflecting the National AntiRacism Framework: Our systems are built to maintain white privilege. Those who are white can successfully navigate, access and lead systems and institutions without having to shed their language, culture, religion and other parts of themselves. 33 The Commission’s ‘Seen and Heard’ project has also informed these insights. In particular, the Commission heard that while some experiences of racism are common, such as dehumanisation, different forms of racism have unique 33