A response to sexual assault in the Melbourne Colleges

The Colleges of the University of Melbourne are committed, individually and collectively, to respectful relationships and the fair treatment and safety of all students and staff.

We were collectively deeply saddened to hear recent reports of sexual assault in our Colleges. While we will not comment on specific cases, we applaud the bravery of those young women who have come forward and spoken of sexual assault and harassment with an eye to challenging our institutional cultures and structures.

We apologise, unreservedly, to anyone who has suffered through our failings, at an institutional level, in addressing the issue of sexual harassment and assault.

In recent years, we have worked individually and collectively to improve our processes, education, and practice. However, as media coverage suggests, there is more to do – including ensuring that our policies and processes focus purposefully on the needs of survivor/victims, and ensuring that they can have confidence in our policies and the practical steps we take to support them.

We also need to ensure that we continue to work closely with the University to ensure that our institutional policies work together, with the support of survivor/victims as our common goal.

Individual College responses to may be obtained through contacting the Head of each College.

The Intercollegiate Fair Treatment Policy can be viewed here.