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Campion College Australia
Response to TEQSA for Request for Information
1. What specific concerns is Campion College investigating?
2. Will Associate Professor Stephen McInerney and Dr Stephen Chavura continue
teaching at Campion College while the investigation is underway?
3. Could you provide more information on the investigation process, and when it is
expected to be completed?
4. Could you provide the most current version of the college’s policy regarding
academic misconduct, specifically in relation to racism-related misconduct?
5. What support services are available to staff and students affected by matters
raised in this article?
6. How has Campion College’s governing body ensured a safe and inclusive
environment for its staff and students?
Questions 1, 2, 3 re. Investigation
The College board also released a statement that was sent to the broader college
community (staff, students, alumni, supporters), which forms part of this request for
information.
I will, as discussed, update you on this process in
due course.
Question 4
• The College Misconduct policy is attached.
• Also attached are the Staff Code of Conduct and Academic Freedom Policy. As
discussed at our meeting, also attached is a copy of the statement we sent to
students, staff and stakeholders.
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Question 5
This is a general response to the request to try and capture all the steps that have been
followed at the College to ensure the welfare of students and staff during these past
weeks.
Re: students
After the article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, the communication with the
student body included the following:
• The Student life manager met with the Senior Residential Tutor & members of
the student association in the days immediately following the article’s release.
Students were able to express any concerns that they may have had, however
there wasn't any raised.
• The Residential Assistant Team along with the Student Life Manager met to
discuss ways in which students who come from migrant backgrounds might be
impacted. Residential assistants were briefed on ways in bringing up the
conversation without causing offense, to which the students were grateful and
appreciated the support, despite indicating they were not impacted by the
comments.
• In the week following the article’s publication, the President of the College, the
Student Life Manager and the Executive of the Student Association met to
discuss the current climate on campus, to which the student executive
members were grateful of the College’s approach and would communicate back
to the College if there were any concerns raised.
• A letter was sent on behalf of the student body to the college executive and
board, indicating that they have not been impacted by the comments.
• The student life manager has monitored the situation and has reported no cases
of students feeling unsafe or not welcomed on campus, since the publishing of
the SMH article.
• In the days after the article, students and staff were reminded that the College
counsellor was available, as per normal.
Re. Staff
• The President addressed the staff at the regular staff meeting about the situation
in general and encouraged staff to come and speak to him if they wanted more
information.
• The President spoke to each staff member individually in the two weeks after the
article appeared, asking each if they had any concerns and encouraged them to
come and speak when/if they required.
• As a small College, where every staff member works closely together, this was a
delicate situation, that required personal and discrete follow up. The same is
true of the student body.
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• Overall, the situation has remained calm throughout and the life of the College
has not been hindered.
Question 6
The College’s governing body,the Campion Institute Board, has ensured a safe and
inclusive environment for its staff and students through:
• Monitoring the situation through regular updates from the President of the
College, where assurances were given that students and staff were being
supported.
• Regular informal meetings, where Trustees have discussed actions to be taken
in terms of minimising any potential disruption to the life of the College.
• The board of trustees, issuing a statement to student, staff and stakeholders.
• Receiving assurances from students and academic staff, via the College
President, that no students had ever been treated unfairly. Furthermore, that the
comments were made by the academics off campus and in a personal capacity,
not directly related to their roles at the College, and that lectures and tutorials
were never arenas for political activism.
More formally, the governing body also ensures a safe and inclusive environment
through its regular board meeting (every two months). Standing items at this meeting
include reports from the Student Life Manager, the Director of Operations (Professional
Staff) and the Dean of Studies (Academic Staff).
The Audit and Risk Committee, a sub-committee of the Institute Board, meets every
two months. A standing item at this meeting is Student or Staff Grievance.
Dr Paul Morrissey
President, Campion College
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