The National Student Safety Survey

Good morning, I'm Attila.

UTS's commitment to putting community safety first for all students and staff means many things.

But mostly it's about creating and ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all of us to work, study and to live in.

As places of higher education, learning, research, universities are in a unique position to promote gender equality and to prevent sexual violence.

We know that the work we do at UTS extends beyond our campus.

So not only must we tackle the issue on campus, we have a responsibility to support broader societal change on this critical issue.

And that is why the upcoming National Student Safety Survey, the NSSS, provides such a critical opportunity for our students to help meaningfully

shape UTS's future actions in achieving this and tackle the systemic wide change.

So what is the NSSS?

On the 6th of September, ten thousand randomly selected UTS students will be invited to participate in this national survey, which is being conducted by the Social Research Centre.

The survey will collect data on the scale and nature of the university student experience of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

The results of course will be confidential. So participant contributions will be anonymous.

This survey builds upon the foundational survey undertaken in 2016, which resulted in the Human Rights Commission Report, Change the Course.

From this report, Universities Australia immediately developed a ten point action plan, which called for measures to improve awareness and prevention strategies, as well as student support in areas of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Here at UTS, closely working with students and alumni, we've undertaken a number of campus-wide initiatives since this time, focusing on shifting attitudes, improving practices and supports, changing behaviours and of course driving culture change.

And while we've come a long way. All of us wholeheartedly acknowledge there is more that we can do.

We are constantly looking to evolve how we connect with and support our community on these commitments.

So this is why the National Student Safety Survey provides an invaluable opportunity for you to really help and shape the work that we're doing.

If you get selected to complete the survey and of course, feel comfortable about doing it, please note your contributions will directly inform and improve our work in building and maintaining a culture of respectful behaviour and eliminating sexual violence of any kind.

It is important to note that community safety and wellbeing is at the centre of preparation for the survey as well.

So UTS will continue to provide additional access to counselling and support services for students and staff.

To help prepare our community over the coming weeks, I would ask you to make sure that you're across the up to date procedures, policies

and support services that the university offers including our counselling services, the EAP service for staff and their families, as well as the university staff and student reporting portal which can be found on the UTS website.

Any students who have questions about survey participation can of course contact the Social Research Centre Free Call Help Desk for advice.

The survey starts on September the 6th and runs through to the 3rd of October.

And over the coming weeks, we'll share more information on our website,

and in student and staff communications about the survey.

I would like to take this opportunity in closing to thank you all for your continued efforts to look after one another during these very challenging times.

Respect, tolerance, inclusion. They’re central to UTS culture, but it is our humanity, our compassion, our generosity that creates a community that we are all so proud to be part of.

Thank you very much.