The University of Sydney Senate has accepted “in principle” the recommendations of the Hodgkinson External Review report during a meeting on November 26.
According to Chancellor David Thodey, the Senate then “asked the University Executive for a blueprint for consultation and delivery.”
Bruce Hodgkinson was appointed by the University in July this year, following the end of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, to externally review USyd’s policies and processes surrounding “the wellbeing of our community, academic freedom and freedom of speech, and the effective operations of the University into the future.”
The University Senate met last night and released their response to the recommendations in an all-student email earlier today from Chancellor David Thodey.
The Review report made 15 recommendations, including a “New Civility Rule” which would specifically include forcing anyone using “a word or phrase” to “identify to the audience the context in which it is used” at “the time” it is used.
The report specifically addresses “from the river to the sea” as a phrase that relies on context to “make the statement a legitimate criticism [of the state of Israel] or one which crosses the line into antisemitism.”
The report recommended that breaches of the New Civility Rule “should be recognised as misconduct and treated accordingly.”
The report also calls on the University to require all organisation officeholders that use University facilities to complete the “Engaging with Civility module,” and that failure to do so be recognised as misconduct.
Additionally, organisations which possess officeholders that have failed to complete the module would be “subject to sanction which could include the withdrawal of their funding.”
The Engaging with Civility module was developed by the University in March 2024 to “build understanding of the Student Charter and expectations at university, including respectful protest and cultural safety.”
The body of the report also covered complaints relating to both antisemitism and Islamophobia, recommending that each be treated as separate categories of unacceptable behaviour.
A section of the report also specifically addressed the encampment, noting that its “existence” and “longevity” contributed to “many complaints” and “provided an opportunity for persons outside the University, including members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to have a presence on campus” that “contributed to the feeling the campus was an unsafe place for some”.
Additionally, the report stated that the “University is not a camp site manager” and “the lack of clarity as to what was transpiring at any particular time in the encampment made its management difficult.”
For these reasons, the Hodgkinson Review report recommended continuing the ban on encampments.
Additionally, the report called for a continued ban on “any form of protest within a building on the University campus, and the impeding of access to and exit from any building by protest” in line with the Campus Access Policy which commenced June 28.
It recommended that USyd should “approach both the NSW Police and Federal Police” to develop “formal protocols which set out how they can assist the University if the need arises.”
The report also details a ban on students addressing lectures, seminars and tutorials before they begin “on any subject matter” or commonly recognised as ‘lecture-bashing’.
Lecture-bashing,used by many student political groups as a way to spread information about upcoming events, recruit students or protest University issues, is usually conducted with the professor’s approval.
Incoming Students’ Representative Council President Angus Fisher said that “the report undermines the SRC’s essential functioning as an independent representative and activist body.”
“Notably, no consultation with the SRC took place in the making of the report,” Fisher continued.
The report also recommended “that attaching banners to the footbridges be prohibited” and that organisations should be held accountable for “posters identifying them” or any event they are involved in “are put up on campus in breach of the Advertising on Campus Policy.” This forms the ‘New Civility Rule’.
The University’s Parramatta Road Footbridge in particular has historically been used for protest banners by both students and non-student groups.
With regards to the New Civility Rule Fisher stated, “While the near-entirety of the report is concerning, the potential sanctions against student organisations are most distressing.”
Fisher said that “a floored caveat is that student organisations will be held responsible if posters identifying them or an event in which they are involved are put up on campus in breach of the “Advertising on Campus Policy”.”
“This would incentivise bodies to not appropriately identify themselves or their material out of fear of repercussions which may empower non-campus organisations to potentially co-op events and empirically make the campus less safe,” Fisher continued.
The report also recommended that the University “develop a range of sanctions including the withholding of funding to an Organisation” found in breach of the Advertising on Campus Policy.
The report also urged USyd to consider banning officeholders of organisations found in repeated breach of the policy from positions in “that or any other Organisation receiving University funding.”
Fisher also told Honi that in his role as 2025 President he “will oppose any and all potential attacks on the SRC and academic freedom generally. Students deserve a voice on issues that affect them and the wider world; it is wrong for the university to stifle this.”
Additionally, the Report called for the streamlining of USyd’s complaints procedures, including by “establishing a single central office to receive and process all complaints.”
The Report also called for more transparency on the part of the University surrounding complaints procedures through “a regular report to the Senate” containing all relevant information whilst anonymising complainants.
The University currently has an anonymous complaints portal to field generalised issues.
The report also called on USyd to “publish a public report that identifies the range of penalties imposed” for breaches to University policy.
“The University of Sydney is not immune to the challenges of rising levels of racism, intolerance, and polarisation facing broader society,” Thodey said, “this makes it more important than ever that we foster a safe environment where diverse views can be explored through civil debate.”
“Mr Hodgkinson’s report provides us with expert guidance on how to achieve that goal and we will be seeking the views of our community on its implementation”, Thodey continued.
“We will continue to keep you updated on this important work as we progress”, Thodey concluded.
