In a bid to tackle sexual assaults and sexual harassment, the Australian National University is planning to invest in professionally-trained staff to improve student safety at on-campus residences.
In 2022, the ANU received 20 reports of sexual misconduct, an increase on the previous two years. Of these, 37 per cent occurred at on-campus residences.
A university spokesperson says the move towards a 24/7 staffing model is yet to be finalised, but consultation is taking place with senior residents, ANU residential staff and stakeholders.
“[This is] in response to the Student Safety and Wellbeing Plan and will invest significantly in more professionally trained staff in residences,” the spokesperson says. “We look forward to hearing from the student residential community to support a safe and enhanced on-campus living environment.”
Currently, senior residents provide after-hours support at on-campus residences, in return for free rent. The new model will see Residential Community Safety Officers employed by the ANU permanently.
The 2022 Student Safety and Wellbeing Plan stated: “Although the University has taken progressive steps to meet the recommendations found within the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Change the Course Report and the ANU Sexual Violence Prevention Strategy, it has been acknowledged that we must continue to do better in the complex space that is gendered violence prevention and response”.
The Plan outlines moves to strengthen the ANU’s education and prevention, reporting, disclosures, case management, institutional response, and reporting initiatives. There will be significant investments in staffing in ANU residences, recruitment of new case managers, making consent training a mandatory part of students’ enrolment and embedding a zero-tolerance approach in ANU culture, including policies, language, training and disciplinary procedures.
According to the 2021 National Student Safety Survey, one in six (16.1 per cent) university students in Australia had been sexually harassed since starting at university and one in 12 (8.1 per cent) had been sexually harassed in the past 12 months.
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