In an ‘On Campus’ email sent on the 13th of August, the ANU announced that it will be expanding its Rights, Relationships and Respect (RRR) modules for the next year, to include peer-led activities, projects co-designed with students and inclusion of anti-racist specific training. It will also introduce modules made specifically for staff at the University.
The RRR modules are online training sessions that outline basic consent concepts created by the Inclusive and Respectful Communities team, which range from awareness of sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) to the impacts of relationship power dynamics on consent.
The modules are compulsory for all ANU students prior to commencing their studies at the University. Residents at on-campus residential halls are mandated to attend a one-hour in-person consent education workshop. John XXIII College, Ursula Hall and Burton and Garran Halls run a compulsory two-hour workshop.
Changes to this program respond to written feedback submissions and sustained protests from students, including the August 1st ‘It Starts With Education, It Ends With Respect’ protest.
Hosted by the ANUSA Women’s Department, the protest focused on placing pressure on the ANU to adequately alter and expand the modules to address consent on campus. According to the 2022 National Student Safety Report, ANU ranks second-highest out of Australian universities in the prevalence of SASH.
An ANU spokesperson told Woroni, “The [RRR] program is continuously evaluated and will be updated accordingly based on student feedback and identified areas of improvement… ANU is currently providing some form of consent and healthy relationships education to over 8000 students online, in addition to approximately 2000 residential students face-to-face.”
However, at the August 1st protest, students pointed out, “There are a lot of barriers which might make [the modules] hard to access, from straight up internet access, to if English is your second language.” They explained that alongside the modules, there is, “no real support, or anyone to help you through that process.”
The 2024 Bla(c)k, Indigenous and People of Colour Racism Report also found, “BIPOC residents in ANU residential halls experience racism manifested through racial microaggressions. Such behaviour has resulted in BIPOC students unable to freely share and express cultural identities.”
In addition, the Report detailed, “Residential staff including Head of Residence fail to provide support to BIPOC residents when racist incidents are perpetuated in residential colleges, resulting in racial trauma being undressed and leaving BIPOC residents more vulnerable.”
The Higher Degree Research (HDR) modules, which include training sessions separate from commencing coursework for undergraduates will also change. The ANU explained that “The HDR module includes scenarios that are specific to the supervisor-candidate relationship, new video content, and an additional topic about working away from campus.”
Students will be able to undertake and evaluate the effectiveness of the new RRR modules moving into 2025.
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