National Student Ombudsman (NSO)

Question

1. Can the National Student Ombudsman (NSO) provide an update on the number of antisemitism-related complaints received since the NSO commenced operations? 2. Has this number increased since the Bondi Beach attack? 3. What training or resources has the NSO provided to its staff to ensure that antisemitism complaints are handled appropriately and in line with the IHRA definition of antisemitism? 4. What is the process the NSO follows when reviewing university practices in response to antisemitism complaints? 5. What steps has the NSO taken to ensure that universities are effectively addressing antisemitism on campus and what powers does the NSO have to require universities to take action where they are not responding adequately? 6. How many complaints from Jewish students has the NSO received that relate to university responses to pro-Hamas or anti-Israel protests on campus? 7. Have any universities been found by the NSO to have failed in their obligations to Jewish students? If so, which ones and what action was taken? 8. The NSO's own verdict after a year in the job was that universities are 'too focused on money'. If universities are prioritising revenue over student welfare, what confidence can Jewish Australian students have that antisemitism complaints are being taken seriously instead of being managed quietly to protect institutional reputation? 9. How many antisemitism complaints received by the NSO have resulted in a formal finding against a university? 10. How many have been dismissed or resolved without any finding? 11. What is the average time taken by the NSO to resolve an antisemitism-related complaint from the date of lodgement to the date of finalisation? 12. Has the NSO ever escalated a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission or another external body because a university's response was inadequate? a. If not, why not? b. And if so, what was the outcome? 13. Does the NSO use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as its benchmark when assessing complaints? a. If not, what definition does it use? b. And are you able to provide examples of how the definition being used actually helps combat antisemitism on campus? 14. A number of Australian universities permitted encampments on campus following 7 October 2023 where Jewish students reported feeling unsafe and excluded. 15. Did any of those incidents generate complaints to the NSO? If so, what was the outcome? 16. Has the NSO conducted any proactive investigations into university environments where Jewish students have publicly stated they feel unsafe, without waiting for individual complaints to be lodged? 17. Jewish student groups, including the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), have publicly stated that university responses to campus antisemitism have been grossly inadequate. 18. Has the NSO sought direct evidence from these organisations? If so, when and what did they say? 19. Under the National Student Ombudsman's governing framework, what is the maximum penalty or consequence that can be imposed on a university found to have failed to ensure the safety of Jewish students? a. Has that maximum consequence ever been applied? 20. The Government established the NSO in part as a response to concerns about student welfare. Given that Jewish students are among the most vocal groups reporting discrimination and fear on campus, does the NSO consider its current powers adequate to the scale of the problem? 21. Has the NSO provided any formal report to the Attorney-General or the Minister for Education on the volume and nature of antisemitism complaints received? a. If so, when was that report provided and will it be made public? 22. Several universities have hosted speakers and events promoting content that Jewish organisations have characterised as antisemitic. Has the NSO received complaints about any such events? a. If so, what action was taken? 23. Are there any universities currently under active scrutiny by the NSO in relation to their handling of antisemitism? a. If so, how many? 24. If a Jewish student reports to the NSO that they were targeted, harassed or made to feel unsafe on campus because of their identity or their views on Israel, what is the concrete outcome that student can expect from lodging a complaint with the NSO?

Answer

Please see attached answer.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• BE26-186.pdf (opens in a new tab)