Dear Duncan,

This open letter has been written by representatives of UMSU, on behalf of the wider student body at the . We are writing to express our disappointment at the spate of recent cases of sexual assault and harassment within the University, highlighting both the breadth of abuses and the lack of action on the University's behalf.

While the University has expressed a “zero tolerance” policy for abuse, students see the gap between this rhetoric and the actions of the University when addressing allegations, complaints, investigations, as well as consequences for perpetrators. The more times you repeat the “zero tolerance” assertion, when students are aware of continued abuses in which the University maintains a passive role in supporting survivors, the more their confidence will be eroded. This year, students have read about a professor whose abusive behaviour was known for a decade without being stopped, and a student whose behaviour went without consequence despite the testimony of multiple complainants. Most recently students have seen the University of Melbourne fail to disclose to the University of that Peter Rathjen, Vice-Chancellor of the , had sexually harassed a student while employed by the University of Melbourne. If you were a student, would this look like “zero tolerance” to you?

In a letter to staff, about the Peter Rathjen case, you stated that the University had “strong practices and policies to deal with these matters”. We see little evidence of these “strong practices and policies”, as is evident in the unsatisfactory outcomes in all the cases. It is now three years since the landmark reports into sexual assault and harassment within Australian universities, conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission and others. In that time, there has been little progress at UoM, and it has fallen behind many comparable institutions. For example, the University of Melbourne is one of few Go8 Universities that does not yet have a stand-alone Sexual Assault and Harassment policy, one of the key recommendations of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s “Change the Course” Report. More than three years on, the University of Melbourne, one of ’s “premier” academic institutions, has still failed to implement this key recommendation, and has made minimal progress on a range of other issues and actions. This sends a clear message to students that the university does not prioritise these issues, nor does it appear to prioritise student safety over its own reputation.

UMSU Inc | Level 1, Union House | University of Melbourne VIC 3010 | T: +61 3 8344 6966 | W: umsu.unimelb.edu.au

Those institutions that have addressed these issues more profoundly, have developed initiatives such as university ‘community-wide’ approaches, placed sufficient staff in appropriate and victim- centric settings, trained investigative teams dedicated to allegations against both staff and students, crafted specific stand-alone policies for relationship abuses, and developed multiple avenues of resolution, justice, and consequence. Why haven’t we done any of those things?

Students are losing faith in the University’s resolve to build the culture you describe, and its ability to address issues of sexual harm with vigour and transparency, in a survivor-centric way. For the University of Melbourne to be safe for students and staff, we ask that the University commit to a published plan of action that:

• Includes a transparent, stand-alone sexual misconduct policy, that is survivor-centric and trauma-informed, developed in consultation with students. • Incorporates a therapeutic, survivor-centric and trauma informed model for responding to reports of sexual assault or harassment, including the development of a health and wellbeing centre, separate from university administrative services. • Develops a universal, independent, investigation and adjudication process for allegations against both staff and students • Develops alternative pathways for justice, including restorative processes. • Develops appropriate, student-led, consent and respectful relationship modules • Outlines a clear strategy, university-wide, for the prevention of all relationship abuses.

Recently, UMSU compiled a report that gathered testimony from students about their experience of current processes, policies, and practices at UoM. It showed that many students have little faith in the current response to sexual assault and harassment, as we have discussed in this open letter. We hope that upon its official presentation to the RESPECT Taskforce it is taken seriously, and that the voices of students, through student representatives, are actively engaged with through positive and proactive action.

We look forward to hearing back from you.

Naomi Smith & Aria Sunga UMSU Women’s Department

UMSU Inc | Level 1, Union House | University of Melbourne VIC 3010 | T: +61 3 8344 6966 | W: umsu.unimelb.edu.au