policy & reform campusreview . com . au woman ridiculous , which means we need to adjust the way we recognise people ’ s worth inside institutions , but also make sure the structures don ’ t in-build a bias against women .
I won ’ t forget the presentation we heard from the man who ran a project in the UK . He explained to us that making sure you ’ re doing absolutely the best and making universities compete to do better at gender equity in universities wasn ’ t just good for women inside universities . It was good for men too . That ’ s what they ’ d learned .
They ’ d had a number of years of this process already and found that men were coming back to them and saying , in their department or area of the university , they were having more frank conversations around how we do all the normal stuff you ’ ve got to do in your life and make progress . We are having better , clean and more honest discussions between individuals about how you do the work while balancing it with everything else , how you recognise merit , how you accommodate the fact that a woman will often have a few years where she ’ s got to raise kids .
There ’ s also additional work in an area which is very important to discuss . We have a very solid program of work in combating sexual harassment and sexual assault in universities with the aim of getting the rates down . Why do universities do this rather than the rest of the community ? We ’ re part of the community we live in , but we also have a very large number of 18 to 24 year olds who are unfortunately more likely to be raped and harassed than people in other groups .
The sector took a strong position back in 2017 that we would start a series of campaigns , but also turn the spotlight on ourselves and what was going on inside our campuses . We like an evidence base in universities , and then base our actions on those to try and reduce the possibility of being raped or harassed on campus , but also assist people to report and to come forward and make sure that all the supports are there for them so we can reduce the likelihood of the harms that result .
What would your message be to female staff and students returning to our campuses this semester , about how safe and comfortable they ought to feel in doing so ? The very clear message is your institution is doing everything it can to make sure you are as safe and secure as you can possibly be while you pursue your studies . If you see something , if you know someone has been affected , please do encourage them to come forward to your university because universities are working day and night to make sure they do everything they possibly can to make sure that this terrible scourge doesn ’ t unduly affect students and staff .
I know university executive teams and university staff are thinking very hard about the coming back this time . This is different to coming back in any other orientation period .
What will we see ? I know schools are thinking about this very carefully too . In some cases , we will see students absolutely loose as they ’ re back on campus for the first time . There ’ s a joyous end to that and then , of course , we know there ’ s a very complicated end of it , the letting loose . At the other end of the spectrum , there will also be students who have gotten very used to being in their own space and are finding being back out in the big world quite challenging .
There are a whole set of issues for universities to deal with in terms of safety , but also wellness and mental health that are simply more complex than they ’ ve been in previous years . Universities know that and are absolutely up for that challenge , but don ’ t want to pretend that it ’ ll be a simple one . We ’ ll be calling on our communities to work with us to make sure that we help students get back into study in the best way they possibly can .
What are other ways would you typify the strategy that you and UA as a whole will be taking into advocacy as a federal election campaign looms on the horizon in the middle of this year ? I must say as a former journalist I find elections intensely exciting . I know not everyone has that view . It ’ s an opportunity for us to put before the public and before parliamentarians of all stripes the things that are really important to us as a sector as we lead up to a federal poll .
Federal elections are not always times for deep policy debates . It ’ s probably not the time to be sorting out things that are hugely complex . There ’ s a very large number of issues to be dealt with across a very large number of topics , but we will as always be arguing the case that universities
You really do need to be working closely with government to be able to deal with interference from foreign powers .
are a fundamental strut of a modern democracy .
Remember every $ 1 that goes into research comes out as $ 5 . It isn ’ t just about money , but it does help to boost Australia ’ s economic performance . We just need to make sure that as we go into an election period our priorities are really clear and that we base everything we say and do on evidence , and that we allow the ‘ festival of democracy ’ to take place with our voice appropriately heard .
What would be your message of optimism and hope for the leaders , the staff and the students in our sector in 2022 ? Australian universities have a very strong history . We ’ re resilient , we ’ re innovative . I think the last two years have shown really clearly , if there was any doubt in anyone ’ s mind , how fundamental universities are to the way we deal with good times and the way we deal with bad times .
All through COVID , all you had to do was turn on any form of media and you heard university researchers , university students and staff helping us navigate what was an incredible level of constant corrosive uncertainty . I think scientists and researchers are always among the most trusted people in society . Every poll tells us that the role that we have is fundamental to our national fabric . You are seeing us come back , not that we were ever shut , but you ’ re seeing university campuses come back to life and that is a joy to behold .
That ’ s a real sign of recovery , not just for universities , but for all of us . We serve the communities in which we live day in , day out . It ’ s great to see those fabulous young , mature and middle aged minds back on campus , sparking away , driving what is a really great country with fantastic prospects with some difficult times ahead .
My message of optimism is this year is a thing to be grasped with both hands , and our universities are there to do just that . ■
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