MEDIA RELEASE: CAPA welcomes follow-up survey on SA/SH in universities

CAPA welcomes follow-up survey on SA/SH in universities

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) welcomes Universities Australia’s announcement of a follow-up survey on sexual assault and harassment in universities, as promised following the release of the Change the Course report in 2017.

We are encouraged that the survey will include extensive consultation with students, including with groups, such as End Rape on Campus, which have been instrumental in advocating for change.

We look forward to representing the unique concerns of postgraduate students to the survey team as part of the consultation process.

Research students are vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour from their supervisors due to the power dynamic involved. The follow-up survey represents an opportunity to systematically gather data on this issue for the first time. CAPA strongly encourages Universities Australia to include this issue in the survey, and we look forward to collaborating with our member organisations and others in the sector to advocate for change.

“The Change the Course report two years ago highlighted the prevalence of sexual violence in university communities, sparking many conversations in the sector about the culture we create and inhabit,” says CAPA National President, Natasha Abrahams. “The follow-up survey is an opportunity to examine if any universities have been successful in reducing sexual violence in their community, and will provide the sector with data illuminating where action is needed.”

“Women need to be given a safe environment to work in so they can be successful. For female postgraduate and research students, collecting data will be a crucial step in addressing inappropriate relationships between students and their supervisors and the link to future career success,” says CAPA Women’s Officer, Romana Begicevic. “We welcome this opportunity to better represent and support the success of women in academia. It is wonderful that the follow-up survey has been announced during Bluestocking Week, which celebrates women’s participation in higher education.”

Furthermore, we encourage the survey team to consult with and incorporate feedback from other peak bodies including the National Union of Students, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association, the Union of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students, and the Council of International Students Australia.
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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au

Performance-based funding model tinkers at the edge of failing system, says CAPA

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) cautions that the new performance-based funding model does not address the funding issues plaguing universities.

The Government proposes to distribute $80 million to universities based on graduate employment rates, student satisfaction with teaching, attrition rates, and equity group enrolments. The performance-based funding is only to be applied at an undergraduate level.

This $80 million is a pittance compared to the billions of dollars ripped from undergraduate education, student loans, and research funding in the last two years.

Universities increasingly seek unethical sources of funding to make up for the severe funding cuts from Government. This includes charging extortionate fees to international and domestic postgraduate students, collaborations with weapons manufacturers, and accepting funds from controversial groups such as the Ramsay Centre.

“Implementing performance-based funding without providing an adequate amount of funding to universities is like bailing out a sinking ship using a cup,” says CAPA National President, Natasha Abrahams. “The Government must take decisive action to ensure universities are fully-funded institutions for the public good. While performance-based funding appears to be well-intentioned, it does not adequately address the under-funding of universities and unethical actions taken by university management.”

Moreover, not all metrics used in the performance-based funding model are well thought out. We are concerned about the “student experience” metric, which is not comparable across universities. As we argued in our submission, quoted by the performance-based funding panel’s report, most undergraduate students lack a point of comparison as they have only attended one university. Student perceptions of university are more reflective of their expectations rather than of the quality of education provided.

We furthermore warn that student satisfaction with teaching will create more demands for unpaid labour from the insecurely employed academic staff, many of whom are research students, who undertake the bulk of teaching work.

Our submission to the performance-based funding review can be downloaded here.

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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au

CAPA calls for NSW student accommodation loophole to be closed

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) has called for an end to the loophole which allows student accommodation to charge excessive fees, impose unfair notice periods, and avoid urgent property repairs.

Student accommodation has an exemption to complying with residential tenancies legislation in New South Wales. In our submission to the review of NSW Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019, we suggest that the exemption be re-evaluated to ensure students do not lose their rights as renters.

Currently, the exemption is applied to residential colleges and halls that are located on the grounds of an educational institution, owned by the institution, or contracted by the institution. Instead of being covered by the Residential Tenancies legislation, the relationship between the student and their exempt landlord is defined by a contract, which is written by the landlord and may impose unfair conditions.

There is no recourse available through NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for student tenants to resolve disputes with their exempt landlords. Financial disputes between students and accommodation operators can have unfair impacts on the student’s enrolment status, visa status, and ability to graduate, as found by the Redfern Legal Centre.

We are particularly concerned by the actions of private owners or operators of student accommodation. In New South Wales, one in five student accommodation beds are commercially managed but located on the campus of an educational institution.

The current exemption can create circumstances that are deeply unfair for students, who are often vulnerable due to their young age or their citizenship status. For many, this is their first experience renting, or their first experience renting in Australia. These students may not realise that the contract conditions are onerous and they are unlikely to pursue legal action should there be a breach of contract.

“Due to the improper or incomplete dissemination of information, it is hard for international students to understand the rules and regulations around tenancy. Further, it can create stressful situations for them, both mentally and financially, if loopholes are used to charge students excessively or to force them to leave their accommodation altogether at short notice,” says CAPA International Officer, Devendra Singh.

“Historically, the exemption to tenancy legislation has existed due to the pastoral care aspect of university accommodation,” says CAPA National President, Natasha Abrahams. “However, some commercial operators are able to enjoy this exemption to rip off students, while providing little of the pastoral care that is the basis of this exemption.”

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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au

Download – Submission to review of NSW Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019

Tertiary students, and particularly international students, renting in New South Wales are routinely subject to unfair, exploitative, and illegal practices by landlords. We believe that this review of the Residential Tenancies Regulation is an opportunity to close the loophole exempting private operators of institutionally-owned student accommodation from complying with the Act. We also believe that wider reforms are needed to promote fair treatment of international student renters in the private rental market. We therefore make the following recommendations:
Recommendation one: That the exemption to the Act for student accommodation should only apply to residences that are both owned and operated by the educational provider.
Recommendation two: That the Regulation be amended in line with the recommendations made in the UNSW Human Rights Clinic report.