University of Melbourne fails to stand down staff who joined on campus pro-Palestine camp
Melbourne University has been accused of “saying a lot and doing very little” after revealing it did not stand down staff who took part in a controversial 10-day pro-Palestine protest on campus with students.
Victoria
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Pro-Palestine University of Melbourne staff who controversially occupied a building for 10 days, alongside students, have not been stood down.
A federal parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism at universities hearing became heated during a hearing on Thursday, as chair Josh Burns accused the university of “saying a lot and doing very little” during three concerning incidents on its campuses this year.
These included 27 people occupying a building for 10 days, students taking photos of others depending on their position on statements about the Middle East, and the doxxing of a university professor.
Asked if the four staff and 23 students that occupied the building were kicked out of the university, interim vice-chancellor Prof Nicola Phillips said: “no”.
“The students, they were issued with formal warnings and that is a significant outcome,” she said, adding it was “proportionate” with the nature of the misconduct.
Prof Phillips rejected the assertion the university had not addressed the three incidents.
The university received 12 formal complaints relating to anti-Semitism in the first part of the year but none since August 17.
Prof Phillips refused to reveal the details and outcomes of those complaints stating they were confidential.
She said the university was “intending” to increase transparency about those complaints, which it had already done for sexual harassment complaints.
“We are conducting a full review of our policies and procedures in 2025,” she said.
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