Statement attributable to Professor the Honourable Bill Shorten, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra:
A university campus is a place where everyone should experience a sense of safety and a genuine sense of belonging, and feel that their dignity is respected. For even one person to feel unsafe or disrespected on campus is deeply concerning.
UC is willing to do the hard work. We will not shy away from listening to our community and taking constructive feedback from those who study, work or participate in activities on our campus.
Student and staff wellbeing is our highest priority. We want our students and staff to feel confident reporting incidents of harm, and we have processes in place to support them. If our processes need to be further strengthened, we will do that.
UC is committed to fostering a culture of respect and creating a campus environment where every student and staff member feels included, respected, and safe. This is a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of ethnicity, ancestry, or religion.
The report released today reflects the experiences of university students and staff and it is clear that those experiences are being taken seriously. The work of Race Discrimination Commissioner Sivaraman and his colleagues provides a solid foundation to further inform the Government's reforms aimed at strengthening protections for university communities.