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Racism@Uni Survey

The ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ is leading a landmark study to examine the prevalence, nature, and impact of racism in Australian universities. The Commission will report on findings and make recommendations to the Australian government and universities to make universities safer for everyone. 

All university students and staff are encouraged to take the survey, whether they have experienced racism or not. 

Racism@Uni Survey web block blue

Students and staff at participating universities will receive a unique link to the survey in their university inboxes after 11 August 2025.

  • ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ the Racism@Uni Survey

    The Racism@Uni Survey is the first national survey on the prevalence and impact of racism experienced by students and staff in Australian universities. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    What is the survey content and how long will it take to complete? 

    The online survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. It includes questions about experiences of interpersonal racism, bystander racism and institutional and structural racism. There will also be a series of demographic questions. You will not be asked to provide any personally identifying information and you do not have to disclose any information you do not wish to. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    What are the possible benefits of taking the survey? 

    The findings from the Racism@Uni Survey will be used by the ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ to develop recommendations in the Racism@Uni – A National Study for Change Report with the purpose of creating safe, respectful and inclusive university environments for all students and staff. Participants will be able to view the results of the study here. The ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ will deliver the final report and recommendations to the Commonwealth Department of Education in December 2025. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    By participating, you will also have the chance to win a $50 gift card! There are fifty gift cards available. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    To learn more about the project, please read our frequently asked questions at the bottom of the page. 

    What do I do if I want to stop the survey part way through? 

    You can choose to stop completing the survey at any point. However, if you decide to stop completing the survey part way through, the information you did provide may still be retained and form part of the project’s results depending on what point you withdrew from the survey â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Please see the Participant Information Consent Form (PICF) for further information about participation in the Racism@Uni Survey. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

  • Reporting racism or racial discrimination

    What to do if you have reported racism or racial discrimination to your uni and are dissatisfied with the response. 

    If you have reported your experience of racism and/or racial discrimination under the reporting mechanisms available at your university and were dissatisfied with the university’s response, any matter related to racism can be reported to the ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ (AHRC) or other state anti-discrimination bodies listed below. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Australian Capital Territory (ACT): &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    New South Wales (NSW): &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    • Anti-Discrimination NSW: 
    • Phone: 1800 670 812
    • °Â±ð²ú²õ¾±³Ù±ð:  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Northern Territory (NT): &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    • Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission: 
    • Phone: 1800 621 122
    • ·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô: anti.discrimination@nt.gov.au &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Queensland (QLD): &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    • Queensland Human Rights Commission: 
    • Phone: 1300 130 670
    • °Â±ð²ú²õ¾±³Ù±ð:  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    South Australia (SA): &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    • Equal Opportunity Commission SA: 
    • Phone: (08) 8207 0636
    • ·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô: eoc@sa.gov.au &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Tasmania (TAS): &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Victoria (VIC): &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    • Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission: 
    • Phone: 1300 891 848
    • ·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô: enquiries@veohrc.vic.gov.au â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Western Australia (WA): &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    • WA Equal Opportunity Commission: 
    • Phone: (08) 9216 3900
    • ·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô: info@eoc.wa.gov.au &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
  • Who is conducting the survey?

    The Racism@Uni survey is being conducted by a research team from POLIS: Centre for Social Policy Research (POLIS) at the Australian National University in conjunction with the Online Research Unit (ORU). °Õ³ó±ð Principal Researcher is Associate Professor Deirdre Howard-Wagner. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Associate Researchers include Professor Matthew Gray, Associate Professor Bernie Baffour, Professor Ben Edwards, Professor Karima Laachir, Associate Professor Elfie Shiosake, Professor Lorana Bartel, Professor Rabee Tourky, Dr Francis Markham, Dr Rob Bray, Dr Mandy Yap, Perri Chapman and Kate Doery. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    °Õ³ó±ð Online Research Unit is administering the survey you are completing and collecting the survey data on behalf of the POLIS research team. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    °Õ³ó±ð ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ has commissioned the POLIS research team to conduct the Racism@Uni Survey as part of the Racism@Uni – A National Study for Change  

  • Who can participate in the survey?

    All staff and students (18 years and over) at participating Australian universities are eligible to take part in the Racism@Uni Survey. If your university has agreed to participate, you will receive an invitation email from your university containing a unique link to this survey in the week commencing August 11. 

    You do not have to participate in the survey unless you want to; your participation is entirely voluntary. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

  • Support and wellbeing services

    If you become upset or distressed as a result of completing the Racism@Uni Survey, you can contact your university student or staff wellbeing and counselling support service. See a list of services here.

    Alternatively, you can also get in touch with some of the services listed below or visit their websites for information and support. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Beyond Blue Support Service (24/7) -1300 22 4636  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Lifeline (24/7) - (24/7) 13 11 14  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Mensline (24/7) - 130078 99 78  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    13Yarn - 139276  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Additional support and wellbeing services: 

    BeyondBlue provides information about self-care and wellbeing tips and strategies:  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    °Â±ð±ô±ô²Ñ´Ç²ú provides social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing online resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People:  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    ±á±ð²¹»å²õ±è²¹³¦±ð provides young people aged between 12-25 information relating to general mental health, physical health, work, and study: â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

     &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

     &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    ¸é±ð²¹³¦³ó°¿³Ü³Ù provides information about different mindfulness, coping and self-care strategies –  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Healthtalk Australia provides self-care strategies and real-life patient, carer and health professional stories on film and audio:  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

  • Survey technical support and complaints

    If you require survey technical support or need any assistance regarding survey technical matters, you can get in touch with the Online Research Unit via the following email address racismunisurvey@theoru.zendesk.com 

    During the survey period, you can contact the Racism@Uni Survey project team on 1800 192 651 for information about the survey.   

    You can also contact the Racism@Uni Survey project team via the following email address racism.uni.survey@anu.edu.au should you have any questions. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Research contact person &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Name - Associate Professor Deirdre Howard-Wagner &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Position - Social Policy, Participation, Inclusion Program Lead, POLIS: Centre for Social Policy Research &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Telephone - 02 6125 3748 &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    ·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô - Deirdre.howard-wagner@anu.edu.au  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Complaints &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    If you have any complaints about any aspect of the project, the way it is being conducted or any questions about being a research participant in general, then you may contact Bellberry HREC or the AIATSIS REC. Bellberry will handle complaints relating to the Bellberry HREC processes, the conduct of a researcher, how the study is being conducted, other research issues, and issues unrelated to Bellberry HREC.  AIATSIS REC will handle complaints impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    You may also wish to contact the Director, POLIS: Centre for Social Policy Research in the first instance. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    POLIS Complaints contact person &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Name - Professor Matthew Gray â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Position - Director, POLIS: Centre for Social Policy Research &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Telephone - 02 6125 8265 &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    ·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô - Matthew.Gray@anu.edu.au &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Reviewing HREC approving this research and HREC Executive Officer &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Reviewing HREC name - Bellberry Ltd &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    HREC Executive Officer - Kylie Sproston â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Telephone - 08 8361 3222 &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    ·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô - bellberry@bellberry.com.au &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Reviewing HREC name - Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    HREC Executive Officer - Executive Director of Research Education Group or The Chair of the AIATSIS Research Ethics Committee &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    ·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô - ethics@aiatsis.gov.au  â€¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

     

  • FAQs

    Who can participate?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Staff members at an Australian university and/or; &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Students studying onshore and either:  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    • attending onshore campuses of an Australian higher education provider or  
    • residing in Australia for the term/semester and undertaking an external program of study at an institution via distance education or online. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    All participants must be 18 years or over. 
     
    Who is conducting the study?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    This research is being conducted by a team of researchers from POLIS: Centre for Social Policy Research at the Australian National University. The team of researchers was commissioned by the ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ to conduct the Racism@Uni Survey as part of the Racism@Uni – A National Study for Change

    Online Research Unit (ORU), one of Australia’s leading online data collection agencies, will manage the survey administration and the in-field survey process. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
     
    How do I participate? &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Staff and students from participating universities will be sent an invitation email with a unique link to the survey from their university on behalf of the researchers from POLIS. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
     
    Do I need to participate in the survey?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    You do not have to participate in the survey unless you want to; your participation in this survey is entirely voluntary. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
     
    Will my university know if I have completed this survey?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Your university will not know whether you participated in the survey unless you choose to disclose that information yourself. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Your decision to participate or not will not impact your relationship with the university now or in the future.  â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    The use of unique links allows anonymous participation in the survey. It ensures that only the person who receives the invitation can complete the survey, which means that universities will not provide any personal information about students or staff to a third party. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
     
    Will my answers/information be confidential? Will I be able to be identified in this study?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Survey participation will be anonymous, which minimises risks relating to confidentiality and privacy. Any personally identifiable information provided in an open text response will be removed and destroyed. Any information obtained and collected from the survey will be de-identified and treated as confidential and securely stored. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    In any publication and/or presentation, information will be provided in such a way that you cannot be identified. The results of statistical analysis will also be reviewed prior to publication to ensure that there is no risk of identifying an individual through a set of unique personal characteristics. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
     
    What personal information will you collect?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    We will not know your name or any of your contact details. You will not be asked to provide any personally identifying information. You will be asked a series of demographic questions; however, you do not have to disclose any information you do not wish to. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Does the Racism@Uni Survey team have access to my personal information and email?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Your university has not provided the ORU or the POLIS research team with any of your personal information. This includes your email address from which you received an invitation to participate in the Racism@Uni Survey. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Will I be compensated for my time? Are there any financial incentives?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    There are no costs associated with participating in this research project, nor will you be paid. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    However, if you complete the survey, you will be able to enter into a prize draw and have the chance to win one of fifty $50 gift vouchers. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Individuals who consent to participate in the prize draw will only be required to provide their email address and will not need to provide any other identifying information. Your email for the prize draw will not be linked to the survey that you completed. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Can I withdraw from this study? &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    You can choose to stop completing the survey at any point. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    If you stop completing the survey part way through, the information you provide may still be retained depending on what point you stopped answering the survey questions. You should be aware that data collected up to the time may form part of the research project results.   &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Has this project received ethical approval?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    The ethical aspects of this research have been approved by the Bellberry Limited Human Research Ethics Committee (2025/03414) and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Human Research Ethics Committee (REC-O541 Howard-Wagner). â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    How long will the survey take me to complete?  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    We anticipate that this survey will take at approximately 15 minutes to complete. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    How do I participate? &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Participating universities will send out emails to all students and staff in the week commencing 11 August 2025 with a link to the survey embedded in that email. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

Find out more about the full Racism@Uni study HERE