University students complain anti-Semitism crackdown is ‘Trumpian’

University students have slammed the ‘Trumpian authoritarian overreach’ of the Segal review into anti-Semitism, as the academics’ union warns of bullying and cronyism on university boards.

The government’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, has upset the national union of university students for recommending universities be stripped of funding if they engage in or tolerate anti-Semitic behaviour or hate speech. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

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University students have slammed the “Trumpian authoritarian overreach’’ of the Segal review into anti-Semitism, as the academics’ union warns of bullying and cronyism on university boards.

National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton said threats to strip universities of funding over anti-Semitic speech or behaviour “mirrors tactics used by Trumpist officials in the US’’.

“It’s authoritarian, not anti-racist,’’ she said on Tuesday. “We’re seeing a manufacturing of moral panic, leveraging public money, and trying to reshape university culture from above.’’

Ms Horton said universities should be allowed to develop their own anti-racism strategies in consultation with staff and students. Citing Islamophobia, she said “if the government truly cared about student safety, it would address the broader rise in all forms of racial and religious discrimination’’.

National Tertiary Education Union president Alison Barnes says university governance is ‘broken’. Picture: James Croucher

Anthony Albanese has yet to respond to recommendations by his government’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, who wants academics, researchers and universities stripped of public funding “as a last resort’’ for promoting hate speech or anti-Jewish sentiment.

Universities Australia has welcomed the Segal review.

The student union’s attack coincides with a National Tertiary Education Union survey showing “dysfunction, secrecy and intimidation’’ on university governing boards.

NTEU national president Alison Barnes said the report confirm­ed “university governance is completely broken’’.

“Decisions are made behind closed doors by people with no connection to the daily ­realities of staff or students,’’ Dr Barnes said.

“We’ve seen vice-chancellors paid millions while casual staff have wages stolen. For too long, universities have acted like corporations … while governance boards rubber-stamp decisions that have harmed the people who make education and research possible.’’

Citing allegations of cronyism, the survey reveals “very negative experiences of bullying, intimidation and belittling in toxic cultures’’, with staff afraid to speak out.