AUT Has Implemented One in Three Recommendations From Its Harassment Review By Justin Hu (he/him) Students living in AUT accommodation will undergo mandatory consent training from next year, according to the university. The changes come as the university
To implement the new complaints procedure, AUT says it's revising an existing complaints procedure model from Wellington’s Victoria University
reports that 12 recommendations from its harassment review have been carried out thus far, as of early August. The 36 recommendations were accepted in full
A course on bullying and harassment is
by Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack
also now mandated for the university’s
in February.
450 “people managers.”
Implemented recommendations include
The university is also trialling a new
establishing a 14-person “culture change
workplace wellbeing app to monitor staff
transition group” that the university says
welfare levels. The “Chnnl” app has been
will lead culture change on harassment
piloted with 100 staff and the university is
and bullying. The group is being led by
monitoring the app’s results.
Prof Judith McAra-Couper, who is also the head of AUT’s School of Clinical Sciences.
Yet to be complete is the “three-tiered” complaints procedure outlined in the harassment review. The model would
The university has also completed
see complaints assessed informally,
a draft of its first standalone sexual
independently through a complaint
harassment policy document that will
resolution service, and formally through
now be subject to approval by the
“legislation and employment agreements.”
culture change group.
To implement the new complaints
As previously reported in Debate, the
procedure, AUT says it's revising an
university has also implemented new
existing complaints procedure model
rules for postgraduate students. The
from Wellington’s Victoria University.
new rules codify practices such as not
In the meantime, an interim complaints
drinking alcohol in supervision meetings
service is now running for staff while
and having meetings in public places.
new processes are being set up.
Background The university-wide review, led by QC Kate Davenport, found that AUT had botched investigations into two cases of harassment by senior leadership and that the uni had an unresolved culture of staff bullying. The review did not find significant issues with how the university handled cases of student harassment. Dubbed “AUT’s #MeToo moment” last year — accusations that the university had mishandled allegations of sexual harassment were first reported by Stuff journalist Ali Mau. The reporting led to the dismissal of two deputy vice-chancellors (there are six deputy vice-chancellors), claims of a broken culture, allegations of lying, and ultimately the external review. The report’s recommendations, released in February, led to calls for Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack to step down.
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