As a staff member or student you should be able to enjoy a safe and non discriminatory environment at UNSW and have the same opportunities to benefit from employment and education as other people.

 

This doesn't mean that everyone is treated in the same way but rather in a fair and flexible way, because:

At UNSW there are policies and programs that promote equal opportunity and social justice for all.

Employment equity (EEO) means appointing and rewarding the best available applicant on merit, based on their skills, experience and qualification.

 

It also means all staff being able to access work opportunities such as staff development and training; promotion and reclassification; higher duties and a suitable and safe working environment.

 

Education equity means that entry requirements, education practices, academic support and the curricula are such that all students can enter UNSW on merit and have equal opportunities for success.

 

It also recognises that merit can be measured in ways other than traditional academic achievement, for example, through recognition of prior learning and through interviews that evaluate potential for success.

 

For more information, please read the following UNSW policies:

UNSW values the many different social, economic, cultural and religious backgrounds of its students and staff by providing:

UNSW also values the contributions of such diversity towards enhancing our international reputation.

Affirmative action means taking measures to ensure that existing discriminatory barriers are removed and that equal opportunity is provided for all staff and students.

Affirmative action is sometimes used to describe programs and strategies aimed at women only. There is a specific law which says that all employers with 100 or more employees and all higher education institutions must develop and implement affirmative action measures to promote equal opportunity for women, to ensure that women are able to compete equally for opportunities.

Harassment is any unwelcome behaviour, including words and pictures, that is offensive, belittling or abusive to another person or group of people. It can involve conduct which may not necessarily target a particular person but which still affects that individual or group. Federal and state anti-discrimination legislations make harassment unlawful on a number of grounds, including race, sex, age, marital status, pregnancy, sexuality, religious or political views and disability.

 

Sexual harassment is one form of unlawful harassment. Sexual harassment can include such behaviour as unwelcome verbal comments of a sexual nature, unwanted and deliberate physical contact, unwelcome demands for or offers of sexual favours, displaying sexually explicit images or material, offensive jokes or gestures of a sexual nature.

 

For more information please refer to the following:

Discrimination is where a person is treated less favourably because they belong to a particular group or category of people. Discrimination can be direct or indirect. Discrimination on the basis of sex, race, age, marital status, pregnancy, sexuality, religious or political views and disability is unlawful.

 

An example of direct discrimination would be refusing to give someone a job because they were from a particular group.

 

Indirect discrimination occurs when a policy or practice which appears to be neutral or fair results in a particular person or group of people being adversely affected.

 

An example of indirect discrimination would be where a work area has a policy that only people over a certain height are eligible to apply for positions. If this requirement could not be shown to be reasonable, then it may be indirectly discriminatory against women and certain groups of people who tend to be shorter than others.

 

For more information, please refer to the following:

Vilification is generally any act:

Vilification can include such things as: putting up graffiti, wearing badges, making speeches or statements in public, abusing people publicly writing things in journals or newspapers that vilify a person or group.

 

Vilification is against the law in NSW.

All students and staff benefit from these policies, as they help to ensure a fair and safe work and study environment for everyone. By implementing equity measures the University as a whole benefits by being able to use the skills and talents of all its staff and students fully.

The ACCESS Scheme is for higher school certificate students who have experienced long term educational disadvantage (this includes both years 11 and 12).

Providing care for families and being employed or studying can be a difficult juggling act for women and men of all ages. The University has a number of policies which help staff and students with family responsibilities better manage their work/study and personal lives.

Lisa O'Dwyer
Employment Equity Manager
Phone: 02 9385 2736
Email: l.odwyer@unsw.edu.au