2002 – Harassment and Discrimination: Policies and Procedures in Australian Universities

Attachment: CAPA Paper

A CAPA research project In 2003 led to the development of a white paper on existing harassment and discrimination prevention and resolution polices in individual Universities.

Policies at 27 universities were reviewed for this study. The website of each CAPA-affiliate’s university was visited, and harassment and discrimination policies of those with on-line and reasonably locatable policies were down-loaded. It is likely that some policies were not included. This study is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to overview examples of practices currently in place.

Attachment: CAPA Submission

CAPA believes that the body responsible for allocation of APAs with stipend to institutions should ensure that scholarships are distributed to institutions in as equitable a manner as possible; institutions with a developing research profile are not disadvantaged in any formula driven allocation process awards are not tied to particular research grants or subject areas. Rather, that they are made available to institutions to distribute on the basis of merit; and institutions in receipt of scholarships provide adequate resources to postgraduate students so that effective research can be carried out.

CAPA believes that criteria for the allocation of postgraduate scholarships should include previous academic achievement, economic disadvantage, merit of project, relevant work and life experience, other relevant training experience, current enrolment in a postgraduate degree and should ensure no direct or indirect discrimination takes place. Selection criteria must be made openly available prior to the application date.

CAPA believes that, as the national representative body for postgraduate students, it should be consulted when any changes to the allocation process are being considered