St Paul's has deep contempt for women: Sydney University's vice-head Michael Spence

University of Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence has lashed out at St Paul's College for its "deep contempt for women" after its warden responded to a sexist Facebook post with a warning to students about the impact of such incidents on their CVs.

The incident began with a post on the college's Facebook page that compared women to "harpooned whales" and signed off with "Happy slaying".

The vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Michael Spence.

St Paul's warden Ivan Head responded to the message with his own post on the college's Facebook page on Tuesday night.

His post warned students that "some things may resurface just when you need your best CV to work for you", before adding: "But the primary message driving this has to be 'respect for women: now-always.' "

University of Sydney's vice-chancellor Michael Spence says "a deep contempt for women" is a "profound issue in the life of [St Paul's college], going to its very licence to operate".Credit: Paul Jones

However, in a letter on Wednesday addressing both the incident and Dr Head's response, Dr Spence said that "a deep contempt for women" was a "profound issue in the life of the College, going to its very licence to operate".

"I have today written to the Warden of St Paul's pointing out that the College's response fails to address the deep cultural problems evident in the life of his college," Dr Spence said in the letter.

"The fact that almost 100 people liked this particular Facebook post indicates that a deep contempt for women is not just something that marks the behaviour of an isolated student, but a core feature of the shared culture of the men of the College," Dr Spence said.

"The college should acknowledge that it can no longer pretend that this is not a profound issue in the life of the College, going to its very licence to operate, and they need collectively to begin to own and to tackle it."

A post on the Facebook page of St Paul's College by the warden, Ivan Head.Credit: Facebook

St Paul's, Australia's oldest university college, is the only college that has refused to participate in a university-wide cultural review led by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.

The review was triggered by a series of incidents at colleges, including the establishment of a "pro rape" Facebook page by students at St Paul's in 2009.

Instead, the all-male college has said it will run its own confidential review and a version of Oxford University's Good Lad initiative, led by old boy Alistair Kitchen, which aims to promote "positive masculinity" to students.

NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes condemned both the original Facebook post and the college's decision not to participate in the formal review.

"I am shocked at the reports of sexist behaviour at St Paul's College," Mr Stokes said.

"I would urge the College to involve themselves in [the review] process as soon as possible. It is a shame that St Paul's remain the only residential college yet to sign up to the review."

Co-women's officer at the university Katie Thorburn said: "This is clearly a college that only cares about its students' CVs.

"These Facebook posts are part of a long legacy of St Paul's disrespecting women, and [the response] just isn't good enough.

"It shows their priorities, and old boys shouldn't be running the review. They need to join the Broderick review."

Dr Head's response to the original Facebook post, both of which have been deleted, said: "Incautious and disrespectful [social media] use can lead to damage and the idea that anything on Facebook is really private is simply not true.

"Even the Gospel Writer St Luke said as much in a moment of illumination back in the papyrus days ... when he wrote at 8:17 'For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought into the open'. That is today's E media age."

Dr Head said the student behind the original post was "formally cautioned for his disgraceful comments" and suspended.

"Since his return, the student has been counselled by the College's Officer of Discipline ... St Paul's is continuing to pursue its own existing and ongoing initiatives to address cultural and behavioural issues," Dr Head wrote.

Dr Head has been contacted for comment.

A spokeswoman for the university said it could not compel the college to join the review, which is otherwise "progressing well".

"We have been pleased with the level of engagement from the other colleges," she said.