The Australian Human Rights Commission has released the results of its survey into university student experiences of sexual assault and harassment.

Following this morning’s announcement by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the release of the findings of the national survey into sexual assault and sexual harassment commissioned by Universities Australia, the results of the survey relating specifically to Macquarie University are now available.

We have released all the information provided by the AHRC relating to our University in order to be fully transparent and allow our community to participate in the national conversation with all the facts available. The data are provided in the format in which they were delivered.

Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton said, “I am grateful to the students, staff and community members who took part in the survey and gave their feedback so openly on these difficult issues.

One incident of sexual harassment or sexual assault is one too many. Both are unacceptable, and as a community we should take action to ensure no one experiences either. The welfare of our students and staff is always our first priority, and we have acted to ensure their safety on campus and wherever their work or studies take them. Accordingly, in the Respect. Now. Always. project, our work with our students and staff, with assistance from a number of external expert agencies and individuals, has focused on:

Prevention. We have worked to:

• develop courses and training for all students that help them develop respectful relationships as part of their personal growth, as well as first responder training for staff, in partnership with the Full Stop Foundation.
• reinforce the University as a community with shared values and a culture of respect and dignity for all.

Responding effectively. We will ensure that:

• students will know where to get help when they need it. We have developed clear information for students and staff, and campaigns to raise awareness throughout the year.
• students will have immediate access to crisis care in the event of an incident.
• we have effective reporting and complaint procedures that are simple and do not cause further trauma for survivors.
• we have clear standards of conduct that ensure perpetrators are held to account following due process.
• our academic support mechanisms accommodate the needs of students whose study is affected.

I encourage you, as fellow members of our community, to take care of each other by familiarising yourselves with the support services and reporting options available on and off-campus, enrolling in respectful relationships training where possible, and working together to create a safe space in which we can all study and work.”

• View the Macquarie University report
• Australian Human Rights Commission report
• mq.edu.au/respect