A safe space

for everyone

St Hilda’s College is committed to being a welcoming and supportive community where every individual feels respected, safe and supported.

We want our students to thrive and grow academically and personally.

Our context

The tertiary education sector has been subject to a number of reviews, research projects, and surveys which show that university staff and students experience rates of gender-based violence that are unacceptable. The evidence also shows that students in residential and accommodation settings experience higher rates of gender-based violence than non-residential students. St Hilda’s acknowledges the role it must play in building a culture that creates safe and inclusive communities that focus on the primary prevention of gender-based violence and supporting students who may experience gender-based violence in a trauma informed way. We are grateful for the many years of advocacy that has brought this issue to the front and has seen the introduction of the National Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education (the Code). The Code sets clear expectations on universities and colleges to ensure their students are informed, engaged and supported to both prevent and respond to incidents of gender-based violence in our setting. St Hilda’s welcomes and supports the intent and outcomes delivered by the Code and is committed to reducing the prevalence of gender-based violence and providing a safe environment for our residents, staff and visitors.

Our standards

As a residential and academic community, we set a high standard of excellence for all members, both students and staff. The College has no tolerance for behaviour that demeans, harasses, discriminates, exploits or results in assault.

Our Policy and Plan

At St Hilda’s, we encourage our students to be thoughtful and respectful citizens. We regularly review our practices and actively seek input from students, staff and experts to ensure that we continually improve our practice in these matters. We welcome the increasing recognition in our society of the issues of sexual harassment, sexual and gender-based violence and antisocial behaviours. These behaviours are unacceptable and have no place in our College or in any community.

St Hilda’s has in place:

A whole-of-organisation prevention and response plan which provides evidence of how the College complies with the requirements of the National Code as well as outlining opportunities for improving our practices, systems and culture.
A policy that provides students and community members a clear behavioural expectations as well as an overview of the process for making a disclosure, formal complaint or report.

These important documents undergo regular reviews, including broad community consultation, in alignment with the expectation of the National Code.

Our Approach

The College has a prompt, appropriate and rigorous institutional approach to antisocial behaviour which includes:

Clear and accessible protocols for reporting incidents, and robust policies and procedures to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment or antisocial behaviour
Code of Conduct training for all students
Mandatory training in sexual consent and bystander intervention for all students
Enforcement of the Code of Conduct which clearly sets out the standards of expected behaviour and specifies a range of responses, up to and including permanent expulsion from the College and/or referral to the police.

When a transgression occurs, the College responds promptly to ensure the wellbeing and safety of those involved by providing pastoral care and support.