Ahead of new regulations enforcing stricter standards on universities, the education minister has announced that academic institutions will now face penalties if they fail to effectively eliminate racism.
Starting Monday, higher education bodies must implement clear definitions of various forms of racism, encompassing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and biases against Indigenous populations.
This initiative, aimed at curbing antisemitism, was initially outlined in December as part of broader strategies.
The formal introduction of these measures coincides with new sessions of the antisemitism royal commission, focusing on the animosity Jewish students encounter in university settings.
These reforms are in line with recommendations from the Respect at Uni report by the Australian Human Rights Commission, which revealed that over 90% of Jewish and Palestinian students and staff have faced discrimination due to their religious beliefs or ethnic backgrounds.
Under the change, universities will be required to adopt definitions of various forms of racism, but they will not be directed to take on specific terminology such as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
Universities will also need to implement transparent complaints processes in addition to allowing third-party participation in their decision-making.
They will also need to provide rules for staff and students on actions to increase safety on campus and online.
Public universities will also need to publish the outcomes of governing body meetings and decisions, among other measures.
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency will work with the sector to develop guidance on how the standards will operate.
Education Minister Jason Clare said there is no place for antisemitism or any type of hate in universities.
“Anyone who doesn’t think there have been some challenges in university governance has been living under a rock,” he said.
On Sunday, he foreshadowed tougher powers for the sector’s regulator to enable it to more easily levy fines against institutions that failed to act.
“The regulator, at the moment, if it wants to fine a university, needs to go to court,” he told Sky News.
“I figure that that’s not the right approach and so I’ll introduce legislation to give the regulator more powers over the coming months.”
Experiences outlined in the landmark human rights commission report found students and staff subjected to racist tropes such as petrol-sniffing jokes about Indigenous people.
There was also hostility in classrooms targeting Middle Eastern cultures or religions.
Among the report’s 47 recommendations were the creation of national and university-specific anti-racism plans and greater reporting and transparency requirements.