Australia’s top university apologises to students after racial slur

A prestigious university has been forced to apologise to students after it was revealed a speaker used a racial slur repeatedly during a workshop.

The University of Melbourne has had its “academic integrity” called into question after a lecturer repeatedly used a racial slur in front of students.

The uni apologised to students after a guest speaker said “n----r” multiple times during a farm management economics workshop in early October.

One student who was in attendance, and wished not to be identified, said students felt uneasy after the initial use of the slur but were shocked when the lecturer persisted in using the word.

In an email sent to a subject co-ordinator following the workshop, students explained that they felt as though they needed to leave the class halfway through.

Another student, who wished not be identified, said the guest lecturer was “extremely out of place” and was unsure why the lecturer had been invited to the class in the first place.

The University of Melbourne apologised to students and staff after a guest lecturer repeatedly used a racial slur during a workshop. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw.

The University of Melbourne confirmed the comments had been made and had issued an unreserved apology to students and staff.

“The University of Melbourne does not tolerate racism or racist language,” a University of Melbourne spokesperson said.

“The inappropriate nature of this comment by a guest speaker was acknowledged by staff at the time.”

The university said the guest speaker was not an employee and confirmed they would no longer be invited to present in future.

It’s believed a long-serving professor working at The University of Melbourne is “mates” with the guest lecturer and had invited them to present at the workshop.

The University of Melbourne is considered the best university in Australia, according to Times Higher Education, as well as being ranked one of the top 30 universities in the world.

It boasts of a “multicultural” experience, with the cohort of students at the institution consisting of hundreds of international students.

The University of Melbourne ranks as Australia’s best university and one of the top education institutions in the world: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty.

Social justice organisation, Hue, responded to reports of the incident by calling the language used “deeply distressing” and questioned the institution’s academic integrity.

“How are black students and students of colour meant to feel safe learning in an institution that has demonstrated its inability to meaningfully address its racist past and present over and over again?” a Hue spokesperson said.

“It also calls into question the academic integrity of the entire institution.”

The spokesperson said if lecturers were able to demonstrate explicit racism while teaching, a “terrible” precedent would be set for students.

“When lecturers are able to demonstrate such explicit racism, you wonder how does this also inform the curriculum, teachings and research funded and conducted?” they said.

“This racism is then taught to students who then enter industry and teach others, it’s a terrible racist cycle.”