The University of Canberra does not have clear policies or data about sexual violence on campus, more than a year after a landmark report threw down the gauntlet to Australian universities to overhaul their responses.
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An independent review led by former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick found that, while some students felt safer at the university compared to previous years, survivors still faced major barriers to reporting.
There are no specific policies on sexual harassment and assault for either staff or students, and "despite a number of requests", the university could not provide auditors with any data on incidents of sexual violence.
Some staff also described a sexist culture of bullying at work, which had seen women "mobbed" during meetings, talked over and put down by their male colleagues.
One staff member said they had witnessed men in senior positions "being absolutely horrible" to women, making snide jokes or "going after someone".
"You know ridiculing them ... in at least once instance reducing a very talented, conscientious, well-regarded [woman] to tears," they said.
Others reported bullying and sexual harassment by male stuff as a "great concern" to women on campus.
"It's like boys in packs," one said.
While the review noted there had been a range of initiatives at UC aimed at reducing gender inequality and sexual violence, many students still did not know where to go for help. Some were even unaware of the Australian Human Rights Commission survey, the driver behind such reforms, which found that 54 per cent of UC students surveyed had been sexually harassed in 2016, and 7.2 per cent had been sexually assaulted in 2015 or 2016.
Vice-chancellor Deep Saini, who has vowed to implement all of the review's recommendations within the next year, said the findings were an "eye-opener" and any story of bullying, harassment or assault was one too many.
While he said he was going to investigate the bullying claims, he did not believe they reflected a widespread culture at the university.
"I would have found out about it before now, but that doesn't mean it's never happened," he said.
"We're going to go through all our policies, there's still a lot of work to do."
Professor Saini dismissed criticism about the timing of the review, which had lagged behind audits done at a number of other universities, saying it was important to take a "deep dive so we don't miss anything".
Releasing the review on Monday, the university listed its reporting service as "complete" but Professor Saini confirmed work was still ongoing to create a trauma-informed "one stop shop" for survivors.
Currently, students reporting online are directed to a "hazard portal", which limits details of an assault to just 300 characters and warns injuries must be reported within 12 hours.
Leading victims rights campaigner Sharna Bremner of End Rape on Campus Australia slammed the portal, saying it had already put off and confused survivors at the university.
There were serious discrepancies between the progress the university was publicly reporting, and what the Broderick review had revealed, she said.
'Why has this review taken so long in the first place? Not having data, after 14 months, is really concerning," Ms Bremner said.
"There's still no clear policy around the consequences of [sexual violence]. Compared to other universities, UC is lagging behind the eight-ball."
As per the review's recommendations, Professor Saini said he would be directing more funds and resources into overhauling the university's policies, with much of the work to be completed in the next six months.
"I can't imagine a more important investment at a university than making people feel safe," he said.
He confirmed voluntary training modules on consent would become mandatory in the near future and campus security, which had already been beefed up in the wake of the commission's report, re-examined.
But, while the review recommended increasing guard staffing following student reports they were often delayed responding to a high volume of calls, Professor Saini said he thought staffing was adequate.
He also noted strong female representation in the higher echelons of the university executive, reflecting a campus-wide push for equality. That cultural change was reported by some students to auditors but others felt it was still not uniform across campus.
The vice-chancellor admitted one "surprise" in the review was the concerning reports of students facing bullying and sexual violence off campus, while on internships, and a lack of guidelines for staff responses.
"About 80 per cent of our students go on placements, so we need to take it really seriously," Professor Saini said.
Creating a central repository of data on incidents was an "immediate" priority for the university, he said.
The report also urged UC to commit to disciplinary action around sexual harassment and assault, regardless of whether or not police were involved, and to ensure all staff had working with children checks.
On Monday, the university's student representative council said they were disappointed there was still no proper reporting tool in place for survivors, but were hopeful this would now be rectified.
Ms Broderick also said she was optimistic the university would create "meaningful and lasting change" on campus.
Despite barriers to reporting, once connected to the director of student life, students reported their complaints were handled sensitively and expeditiously, the review found.
"However, [we're] concerned that all students may not easily access the director ... and that the positive responses owe more to the current office holder’s deep dedication and commitment, rather than a system that is responsive to the experiences of students," it read.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525. Nationally, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In an emergency contact 000.
