University clubs must fall in line on gender

Uni of NSW students required to do a course teaching them the proposition a person’s sex is assumed from gender is false.

 

University of NSW students are being required to do a course which teaches them that the proposition that a person’s sex is assumed from their gender is false.

The “gendered misconduct’’ course, which is compulsory for students elected as executives of the university’s 300 clubs, also invites them to rate the offensiveness of the Tony Abbott speech that led Julia Gillard to accuse him of misogyny and sexism. However, the module does not show any of Mr Abbott’s comments, only Ms Gillard’s ­attack on him.

Another slide from the course shows the statement, “Your gender is assigned based on your ­biology and your sex is assumed from your gender”, and asks students to mark the statement as “true” or “false”.

After answering, the statement is shown to be “false”.

The course was last night ­attacked by UNSW Liberal Club president Reanna Earl as “straight from the Marxist textbook’’. The 21-year-old, who is in her third year as a student leader at the UNSW club, said she had completed similar training modules related to gender in past years.

While Ms Earl believes the issue of sexual assault at universities and colleges is still relevant, she told The Australian that she was surprised to see the module was “politicised” this year.

“All we want is the freedom to have different points of view, and the freedom to support prominent Liberal politicians like Tony Abbott,’’ she said.

“It’s about the freedom to ­express our ideas.”

When responding to the “true” or “false” question on gender, Ms Earl was “quite taken aback” by the automated answer that showed her response was ­incorrect.

A UNSW spokeswoman told The Australian Ms Earl’s experience was “disappointing to hear and certainly not the experience of the majority”.

She said the module had been introduced in response to “complaints around micro-aggressions” and controversies around hazing rituals.

The spokeswoman said last night the question was based on the Australian Human Rights Commission definition.

However, students could progress and complete the module without answering “false” by persistently clicking “true” until the slide progressed.

A club at the university risks disaffiliation if one of its executives does not complete an ­assigned module.

The university’s Gendered Violence Research Network, which formulated the module, also runs face-to-face education on “gendered misconduct” for students living at colleges.

The spokeswoman said the response to the face-to-face ­aspects of the content had been excellent.

“Gender is broader than just women versus men,” she said.

“The module also asks women about views towards dominant ideas of masculinity.’’

A spokeswoman from Arc — the organisation that administers student clubs and ­societies at UNSW and requires the module from club executives — told The Australian that the training modules were “developed to support club executives in the management of their clubs on a whole range of issues, including gendered misconduct”.

“If students answer incorrectly, they are given opportunities to amend their answer and should the answer continue to be incorrect, they are given the correct answer,” the spokeswoman said.