Review calls for safer, more inclusive Sydney University
The Hodgkinson External Review Report has recommended that the University of Sydney enforce “strict limits on disruptive protests,” including banning encampments and protests in buildings, to create a “safe and inclusive environment for all students,” particularly marginalised groups such as the Jewish community.
The University of Sydney Photo: Paul Miller/AAP
It also supports improving transparency in handling complaints of racism and harassment by “publishing regular reports on complaints and penalties” to rebuild trust within the campus community.
Last night, the University of Sydney Senate endorsed the recommendations of the report, which evaluated university policies in response to a pro-Palestinian encampment and associated behaviours earlier this year. Jewish students and staff reported feeling unsafe during the eight-week encampment and beyond, citing antisemitic conduct. The review, led by Senior Counsel Bruce Hodgkinson, was initiated to assess how the university balances “our unwavering commitment to freedom of speech with the need to create a campus that is safe and welcoming to all.”
The report emphasised that the university must address concerns over its complaints process for incidents of racism, harassment, and intimidation. It recommended the creation of a single Complaints Office and the publication of a “regular complaints report” and a separate document outlining penalties for breaches of university policy. These measures, it noted, could be modelled on the “University of Sydney Annual Report on Sexual Misconduct.”
The report supported the university’s Campus Access Policy, introduced in June, which prohibits protests in buildings and makes camping on university grounds “unacceptable.” It stated that such activities are “incompatible with updated work health and safety regulations” that address psychosocial hazards, noting the growing importance of these standards.
To foster safer and more welcoming classrooms, the report proposed prohibiting announcements before classes begin, allowing such announcements only at the conclusion of classes with the lecturer’s permission. This would give students the choice to leave if they preferred, aiming to minimise disruptions and protect the learning environment.
A key recommendation was a proposed civility rule requiring speakers on campus to clarify the meaning of “contested words or phrases” that could otherwise be polarising or harmful. The rule seeks to ensure academic freedom is upheld while promoting respectful and inclusive discourse.
Organisations found to breach university policies could face withheld funding under the report’s recommendations. This step aims to ensure accountability and uphold the university’s standards for safety and inclusivity.
The Senate resolved to accept the recommendations “in principle” and tasked the University Executive with developing a blueprint for consultation and implementation. Chancellor David Thodey expressed gratitude to Mr Hodgkinson and former Chancellor Belinda Hutchinson, as well as individuals and groups who made submissions. He acknowledged the challenges of “balancing freedom of speech with campus safety” amidst a changing regulatory environment, including expanded work health and safety laws. Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott echoed the importance of creating an environment where “diverse views can be explored through civil debate” while addressing rising “racism, intolerance, and polarisation.”
David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, praised the report but stressed the need for timely action, saying: “The priority which is given to the implementation of these recommendations will reflect how committed Sydney University is to much-needed cultural change and rebuilding trust with the Jewish community.”
The Australian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) reiterated this sentiment, stating: “This is a positive step towards addressing the trust lost over the last 13 months; we now expect the university to demonstrate leadership through full implementation of these recommendations as the next step in this process.”
