A statement from The University of Technology Sydney in response to findings of the National Student Ombudsman.

Key takeaways

  • UTS accepted six of seven NSO recommendations and has strengthened campus safety, protest management and antisemitism training.
  • UTS acknowledged shortcomings involving AUJS and individual complaints, apologised and removed the Action Plan.
  • Vice-Chancellor Andrew Parfitt: “UTS has zero tolerance for antisemitism or racism and is committed to a safe, inclusive campus.”

UTS notes the National Student Ombudsman’s (NSO) report, released on 20 October 2026, into complaints arising from events on campus in March and April 2025. UTS has accepted six of the report’s seven recommendations. 

In the 18 months since the protest, UTS has strengthened how protests and events are managed on campus to better ensure the safety of our community and undertaken additional, substantial work to combat antisemitism. 

This has included strengthening our Campus Policy, clarifying that our policies apply to visitors to campus as well as the UTS community, requiring protest organisers to understand their responsibilities to the UTS community, providing student leaders with additional training on respectful protest and strengthening education and training. UTS also established a campus safety committee comprised of senior UTS leaders that meets weekly to identify and respond to any emerging safety risks on campus.

These improvements have been made as a result of the university’s external review into the protests as well as the university’s continuous improvement approach and address many of the issues raised by the NSO.

“There is zero tolerance for antisemitism at UTS, or for any form of racism. UTS is deeply committed to continue working closely with our student representatives to ensure our campus is a place where every member of our community feels safe, valued and respected regardless of their religion, background, heritage or race.

–      Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt

UTS notes the NSO acknowledgement that the university responded swiftly to student complaints, commissioned the external review to identify next steps and any improvements, and took seriously its obligations to ensure student safety

The NSO further acknowledged that UTS took reasonable steps to manage safety on campus in respect of the protests and that UTS was already undertaking broader anti-racism initiatives.

UTS has a strong track record of acting against antisemitism and all forms of racism.   Ensuring that everyone feels welcome, safe and supported at UTS is of utmost importance to us. 

UTS has at all times sought to prioritise the physical and psychosocial safety of all members of our community and stands by its decision-making at a time of heightened political action on campus.     

The university accepts that it should not have published the Action Plan developed following the external review without providing the UTS Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) with the opportunity to review and respond to the Plan prior to publication and should not have named AUJS in one of the recommendations. We have apologised to AUJS for this and removed the Plan from the website several months ago.  UTS made no adverse findings against AUJS and the original Action Plan should not be interpreted as suggesting that AUJS engaged in any wrongdoing.  

The university also accepts that our handling of individual complaints relating to the March 2025 protest was inadequate and the complainants should have received more timely updates about the external review. The university has apologised to these students.  

UTS Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Andrew Parfitt said the university’s highest priority was ensuring an inclusive, safe community environment. 

“There is zero tolerance for antisemitism at UTS, or for any form of racism. UTS is deeply committed to continue working closely with our student representatives to ensure our campus is a place where every member of our community feels safe, valued and respected regardless of their religion, background, heritage or race.

“Alongside this commitment, UTS has demonstrated a willingness to acknowledge failings where they have occurred, and we have a commitment to continuous improvement in ensuring campus safety and student support to prevent harm.”

 

NSO Recommendations and UTS Response 
Recommendation UTS response Complete or in train Action
Within 1 month the university should apologise to students who complained about the National Day of Action for Palestine protest for the poor handling of their complaints. This should include an apology to the 2 students who did not receive any response to their compliant, contrary to the University’s Complaints Policy and Procedure. Accepted Completed  The university has apologised to the students.
Within 6 months the university should review its Campus Policy procedures as they apply to demonstrations and protests, and consider whether any updates would assist consistent application and enforcement, including under any similar circumstances of the “unauthorised protest”. Accepted Completed  UTS’s policies and procedures are the subject of regular reviews, as part of a program of continuous improvement. The university has made several changes to its Campus Policy in June 2025 and subsequently, to implement the external reviewer’s recommendations and other changes to improve procedures in relation to protest authorisation. The most recent version of the Campus Policy, version3.4, was released on 28 May 2026. UTS considers the changes proposed by the recommendation to be complete. The university will conduct a further review of its Campus Policy as part of its regular review process, and as recommended by the NSO will consider whether any further updates would assist consistent application and enforcement.  
Within 1 month the university should offer a public apology to AUJS for naming it in Recommendation 4 of its Action Plan. The apology should acknowledge that AUJS did not “avoid the processes of ActivateUTS” and that it was compliant with ActivateUTS’s event processes when applying for the open table discussion. Accepted Completed  This has been completed.

Within 3 months the university should work with ActivateUTS to review event guidelines and consider changes to its event requirements and approval process. The outcome of these changes should:

  • Enable the university and ActivateUTS to obtain all necessary information to conduct a full risk assessment and document safety requirements prior to approving a student event and
  • Ensure that consistent and thorough information sharing occurs between ActivateUTS and UTS Security to support the implementation of any safety requirements and assess changes to risk.
 Accepted Completed  The university has worked with ActivateUTS to review event guidelines and consider changes to its event requirements and approval process, including information gathering and sharing arrangements between the university and ActivateUTS.
Within 3 months the university should develop internal guidance to outline the roles and responsibilities of the university to main oversight over an external review/investigation and critically consider all findings. Accepted In train The university agrees that, as a matter of principle, it is generally appropriate that it develop guidance outlining the roles and responsibilities of the university and other parties in the conduct of an external review or investigation. That guidance will include guidance in relation to the critical consideration by the university of the findings of an external reviewer.
Within 1 month the university should deliver a public apology to AUJS for not affording it procedural fairness before naming the student group in Recommendation 4 of the Action Plan. Accepted Completed  The university has apologised to AUJS.
Within 3 months the university should reconsider and reissue its Action Plan in light of this investigation, with a view to correcting inaccuracies and ensuring findings are not wrongly critical of AUJS. If the draft version of the revised Action Plan contains adverse comments about AUJS, the university should provide AUJS with the opportunity t submit a procedural fairness response prior to publications.  Not accepted   The external reviewer’s report was delivered in July 2025, and in the 13 months since the report was delivered, the university has taken steps to address the recommendations of the external reviewer. The university does not intend to take any further action in response to the external reviewer’s recommendations which would warrant the publication of a further action plan. The original Action Plan has been taken down from the university’s website.

 

 

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