USYD accepts review findings
USYD appointed barrister Bruce Hodgkinson in July to conduct the external review following complaints from Jewish staff and students of feeling unsafe due to antisemitism
The University of Sydney (USYD) senate has “resolved to accept the recommendations” of a review into its policies and processes “in principle”, chancellor David Thodey said last week.
USYD appointed barrister Bruce Hodgkinson in July to conduct the external review following complaints from Jewish staff and students of feeling unsafe due to antisemitism, including during the ostensibly pro-Palestinian encampment earlier this year.
“The review received many complaints that students felt unsafe on campus resulting from protests (which included the encampment) and the activity that accompanied them,” Hodgkinson wrote.
He wrote that USYD’s complaints procedures were “complex, slow, receive generic communications and lack transparency”, which “may result in under reporting”.
Hodgkinson added that the university’s policies themselves were described as overly complex and difficult to interpret. The report concluded with 15 recommendations for USYD to implement.
In response, Thodey said, “The report notes the significant steps the university has already taken to successfully address many of the issues raised in submissions to the review, including making camping on campus an unacceptable activity and prohibiting protests in buildings through the introduction of the Campus Access Policy, reviewing our policies, procedures and complaints processes, and increasing campus security.”
The Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism (5A) said it welcomed all 15 of the report’s recommendations.
“We urge the university to move quickly to reassert its authority to restore campus civility, ensuring that vocal minority groups no longer misuse the notion of free speech as a tool for harassment,” 5A directors David Knoll, Suzanne Rutland and Efrat Eilam said.
They also called on USYD to remove one-sided coursework materials “that constitute propaganda” and restore classroom lectures to “spaces where contested ideas are critically discussed”.
“The University of Sydney must reaffirm its role as a beacon of knowledge production,” they said.
“The report lays the groundwork for this by suggesting practical measures to end to the bullying, vilification and Jew-hatred witnessed over the past year. We stand ready to support the university in this critical endeavour.”
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said, “We hope the release of this review allows the university to turn the page on this dark chapter.”
Meanwhile, Sky News reported on Tuesday that USYD had referred an academic, Joel Griggs, to police after he made threats against members of the Australian Jewish Association on social media. However, the university itself is taking no internal action against Griggs.
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