*C8.2
STUDENT SAFETY AND WELLBEING REPORT TO COUNCIL:
RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE – PORTFOLIO UPDATES
PURPOSE
To present Council with an update on activities with the Residential
Experience Division relating to Student Safety and Wel being.
PREPARED BY
Director, Residential Experience Division
Executive Officer, Residential Experience Division
SPONSOR
Chief Operating Officer
RECOMMENDATION That Council
note the updates from the Residential Experience Division.
ACTION REQUIRED
For discussion
For decision
For information
SPEAKER
Ms Catherine Fitzpatrick, Chair, Student Safety and Wellbeing Committee
Ms Felicity Gouldthorp, Director, Residential Experience Division
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidential
Not Confidential
COUNCIL COMMITTEE / ACADEMIC BOARD CONSIDERATION
Finance
Audit & Risk
Campus Planning
Student Safety & Wellbeing
Honorary Degrees
Academic Board
GOVERNANCE / MATERIALITY
The purpose of this report is to advise Council on the University’s management of matters concerning
the safety and wel being of students enrol ed at the University, by providing data focussed on
initiatives supporting and incidents impacting students in ANU Residences.
BACKGROUND This Portfolio Update has been prepared as part of a reporting commitment to the Student Safety and
Wel being Committee (SSWC) and Council. This paper has been prepared by the Residential
Experience Division (RED) to provide an update on the work being undertaken by the University in
relation to student safety and wel being in ANU Residences.
SUMMARY OF ISSUES
Updates on the priorities since the last Council meeting are summarised below. Of the activities reported,
the following initiatives support the positive growth of student trust and perception:
• Cultural and behavioural expectation setting
• Community Support Officer review
• International Student Residential Engagement & Wellbeing Action Plan
• RED action plans based on the Residential Life Survey 2024
Cultural and behavioural expectation setting
The second meeting of the cultural and behavioural expectation setting working group was held in
March 2025. This project is an important deliverable for RED for 2025 under the Student Safety and
Wel being Plan 2024-26 (Action 2.3). Delivery of this project consolidates and progresses significant
RED contributions to many of the University’s other inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility
strategies.
The aim of this second meeting was idea generation, with discussion focused on five key areas:
• Student experience and expectations
• Overcoming challenges in communication and engagement
• Tools and process for building culture
• Addressing common residential chal enges
• Accountability for individuals, student leaders and staff
Two further meetings wil be held, in May and June 2025, before development of an action plan.
Implementation wil commence in Semester 2 2025.
Community Support Officer review update
In July 2024, a 24/7 after-hours support model was implemented across ANU Residences. This model
– which replaced students as first responders with trained staff in Community Support Officer (CSO)
roles, operated by a third-party provider. This model is currently under review, as agreed when the
model was implemented to evaluate the first year and provide an opportunity for feedback.
The review is based on three distinct surveys: to student residents; to ANU staff stakeholders; and to
CSOs. These surveys are now complete, and the results are being summarised and assessed. The
review results wil form the basis of discussions between ANU and the third-party provider, to develop
operational recommendations for improvements to the existing support model.
A summary of recommendations wil be reported at the July 2025 meeting of SSWC.
International Student Residential Engagement & Wellbeing Action Plan update
An International Student Residential Engagement & Wellbeing Action Plan was shared at the February
2025 meeting of SSWC, including a commitment to provide regular high-level updates on progress
against the plan. The Q1 2025 update is as fol ows.
Activity
Update
1. Strengthen cross-cultural training and
RED Academic Advisor and Training Coordinator
awareness-building for al residential staff reviewed all student leader training with a cultural
and student leaders
lens and embedded cross-cultural training into
the modules. Following feedback from students,
a further review will refine the Semester 2
training module, with the aim of continuous
improvement. Staff training is in planning.
2. Build connection and community with early Residences included welcome messaging from
messaging and pre-arrival materials
staff and student leaders in the pre-arrival
information. Further development and refinement
of pre-arrival materials is in train. RED are
working closely with Student Life to align with
central pre-arrival communications program.
3. Set clear cultural and behavioural
Ongoing. Cultural and Behavioural Expectations
expectations that residences are diverse,
working group have met twice (see above), with
multicultural communities
two more meetings scheduled before July.
Implementation from Semester 2 2025.
4. Create opportunities for learning and
Focus is on integrating as BAU for residences.
connection to increase comfort and
RED Academic Advisor and Senior Manager
familiarity with Australian English
Residential Life to meet with Heads in Q2 to
review activities.
5. Develop and implement an engaging new-
In planning.
resident arrival checklist
Activity
Update
6. Establish a calendar of wellbeing
In planning.
checkpoints
7. Provide culturally appropriate support and Ongoing. Incorporated into the leadership
education to increase resident comfort with training with Inclusive Communities team, as well
making wel being disclosures
as peer education program. While al residences
receive the same content, additional support has
been provided to residences with predominantly
international cohorts (e.g. Toad Hall).
8. Provide transition support for graduating
Ongoing for some residences, in planning for
students’ returning to their native country
others.
from ANU
As flagged at SSWC’s February meeting 2025, success of the Action Plan wil be measured annually
based on the KPIs and targets shown below:
KPI
2025 target
% of international residents who return to their residence in the
Maintain: 52%
following year (returners)
Improve: 55%
Aspire: 60%
% of international student residents nominating for residential
Maintain: 10%
leadership positions
Improve: 12%
Aspire: 15%
% positive response from international student residents to safety Maintain: 87% | 68%
and belonging questions in the annual Residential Life Survey
Improve: 90% | 70%
Aspire: 93% | 75%
% participation from international students in the annual
Maintain: 13%
Residential Life Survey
Improve: 15%
Aspire: 17%
Residential Life survey 2024 – safety and belonging summary
Towards the end of each year, every student in ANU Residences is invited to participate in the
Residential Life survey. This annual survey is a requirement of the University’s PBSA agreements but
has, since 2024, also been utilised as an important tool in understanding and responding to student
sentiment, to steadily improve the baseline student residential experience year on year.
The Residential Life survey includes a range of broad safety and wellbeing questions, under the
categories ‘Safety’ and ‘Belonging’. The aggregate results of each of these two categories form the
basis for one of RED’s annual student experience KPIs and targets. As 2025 is the first year that RED
is employing these KPIs as a measure of divisional performance in relation to the student experience,
the 2024 results (shown below) wil form the baseline against which future performance wil be
measured.
Question
2024 results
Safety
87%*
Safety in and around [Residence]
85%
Security of keys, access cards, and fobs
85%
Process of arranging, changing or updating your access
80%
Question
2024 results
Belonging
70%*
It is important to me that I play an active role in the [Residence] community
62%
I feel safe in the physical and digital spaces of [Residence]
87%
I feel that I am part of the [Residence] community
68%
I am committed to the [Residence] community
67%
I have support in the [Residence] community
75%
I am accepted by my [Residence] community
76%
* These summary figures represent the total number of students who, on average across their individual responses, agree to the
category. (As provided by PSP).
A summary of how these results compare against the 2024 Student Experience survey, including a
breakdown of Int/Dom and UG/PG students, is included at
Attachment 8.2A.
Residential staff are working in partnership with student leaders and residents to address the unique
concerns of each residence, as raised in the Residential Life survey. In this way, RED aims to increase
engagement in the survey as a means of shaping the services residents receive, and to help better
respond to the needs of the ANU residential community.
Incident reporting 1 January to 30 April 2025
A summary report of incidents reported between 1 January and 30 April 2025 is provided at
Attachment
8.2B. Overall, there was a 36% increase in reports between January and April 2025 compared to the
same period in 2024 (2025: 804 reports; 2024: 591 reports). As reported previously, this increase is
most likely attributable to the implementation of the 24/7 after-hours model in July 2024.
Noise continues to be the highest reported incident (2025: 145; 2024: 95), which is a valuable measure
of the model’s success. This indicates that residents feel more comfortable making anonymous
complaints about noise to staff than to student peers. (This is particularly valuable for international
students, who are more likely to feel discomfort making such complaints to student leaders.)
The increase in reports of ‘Unauthorised access/security concern’ compared to 2024 (2025: 100; 2024:
31), is likely attributable to the greater scrutiny by CSOs, and the increased number of building rounds
they make compared to duty Senior Residents (SRs) in 2024. It may also reflect heightened student
awareness of this issue. Awareness of the increase in bike theft in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 (discussed
below) may also be contributing to proactive reporting by residents of potential suspicious behaviour.
Reports of theft have increased significantly since 2024 (38 from Jan-Apr 2025, compared to 6 in the
same period in 2024). While some of this rise may be attributed to an increase in reporting, most of
these reports reflect a recent spate of bicycle thefts, as residences are targeted by sophisticated bike
theft groups. RED has worked closely with UniSafe to increase patrols and notify ACT policing.
Residents are encouraged to lock their bikes in bike sheds and be vigilant about closing bike shed
doors.
Reports of excessive alcohol consumption were fewer than in 2024 – a significant result, as this period
includes O Week. In the same period last year, 88 reports were recorded, compared to 73 in 2025.
While this apparent drop in 2025 may be partially attributed to a spike in 2024 from an unapproved
‘shadow’ event, it may also reflect the impact of consistent support and education about safer alcohol
consumption, as well as alcohol minimisation at RED events.
Alongside excessive alcohol consumption, mental health related concerns are still among the top
reported incidents. The number of such reports is mostly consistent with the same period in 2024 (2025:
73; 2024: 66), however, suggesting that new and returning residents are as confident in seeking help
for mental health and excessive alcohol consumption concerns from CSOs as they were from Duty SRs.
A positive indication of the success of the 24/7 after-hours model.
COMMUNICATION
For public release
For internal release
Not for release
ATTACHMENTS
8.2A Safety and Belonging in Student Experience and Residential Life Surveys 2024
8.2B Incident Data January - April 2025
