Sydney Uni to review complaints system as Jewish students call on Mark Scott to resign

The University of Sydney’s complaints system will be the focus of an external review after a senate inquiry looking at the treatment of Jewish students unearthed a trove of complaints and vice chancellor Mark Scott was forced to admit he “failed”.

This year, the university has been home to a pro-Palestinian encampment which was infiltrated by radical Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir and it was singled out as among the worst places to be a Jewish student at a senate inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities on Friday.

University of Sydney vice chancellor Professor Mark Scott speaking at the hearing.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Speaking at the inquiry, Scott conceded he had “failed them and the university has failed them”.

A university spokeswoman on Saturday said an external review would look at the institution’s complaints handling system.

“Many of the testimonials in the submissions shared to the inquiry were deeply moving and were not issues that had come through our system, highlighting the need to make sure our students and staff feel secure when seeking support and lodging a complaint,” she said.

“When the encampment ended, we recognised there was more to do, and this is why we have commissioned an independent external review of our relevant policies and processes.

“This process will include an assessment of our complaints handling procedures to ensure our community feels safe and comfortable to make a complaint.”

The activist encampment at Sydney University this year.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Australasian Union of Jewish Students vice-president Zachary Morris said on Saturday that despite students raising complaints of antisemitism with Scott and the university, little had been done so far and he called for Scott to resign.

“When we would lodge a complaint, they said there wasn’t enough information or would only act if there was footage. It has been like pulling teeth,” Morris said.

“If you say you’re going to remove the swastikas, can you actually go do that? Not just say you’re going to do that. His position is no longer tenable,” he said.

One submission from second-year veterinary student Dror Liraz said: “I have suffered the encampment, calls for intifada (by students, professors, and politicians on campus), harrowing graffiti and daily harassment from those trying to spread anti-Jewish sentiment.

“But my experience is comparatively an untroubled one. I have heard stories of students stalked to class, doxed, threatened in exams and yelled at by an auditorium full of antisemites.”

Scott’s admission of failure on Friday was met with scepticism from Jewish groups who say words and platitudes about antisemitism are not matched with concrete action to address it on campus.

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency said universities across Australia had received 598 complaints related to encampments and protests since Hamas’ October 7 attack killed some 1200 people. Israel’s subsequent attacks in Gaza to eliminate Hamas have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said the admission of failure was an essential first step towards righting any wrong.

“But there needs to be evidence that the nature and the extent of the failure are fully understood and that the appropriate conclusions have been drawn.

“If that were the case, we would have also had a proper public apology and a detailed commitment to take corrective action. University leaders have to date been a rich source of bland platitudes, but have fallen woefully short when it comes to practising what they preach.”