Beyond Abolition: Addressing the Crisis of Culture in the University of Sydney Colleges

On the night of October 30th, Repselect — the Super Bowl of student politics at the University of Sydney (USyd) — took place in the iconic quadrangle. Over seven hours, newly elected representatives gathered to decide who would hold the key positions within USyd’s Student Representative Council (SRC) for the upcoming year. However, what should have been a routine and democratic assembly, quickly took a turn.

Among those in attendance were members of the Young Liberals, the USyd Conservative Club, and representatives from the Colleges. The colleges are an option for those wanting to board on campus at USyd. Honi Soit (USyd’s official publication) stated that during 2023, 931 students resided within the various colleges on campus. During the speeches from incoming Women’s Officers Martha Barlow and Ellie Robertson, Young Liberal and College representatives tore up copies of the Red Zone Report. The Red Zone Report is a document that details USyd’s longstanding and deeply concerning prevalence of sexual violence and rape within the USyd colleges.  

Honi Soit, who were present and reporting at the time of the incident, named the students who ripped up the report as William Khoury and Noah Howlett. Honi also reported that another Liberal councillor Connor O’Neill, while laughing, threw the torn-up report at other councillors. Throughout this, additional members of their faction, including individuals such as Ivan Samsonov, filmed the act.

Adding to an already loud and inaccessible atmosphere of booing and jeering, factions and observers began chanting “Racist, sexist, anti-queer, Liberals are not welcome here”. In contrast, others yelled at the behaviour of the representatives, labelling it ‘disgusting’.

With the Young Liberals gaining four additional seats this year, now holding 9 of the council’s 39, the actions of these groups at Repselect set an uneasy tone for the year ahead. Their ripping up of a report meant to highlight critical issues on campus safety, raises serious concerns about what priorities and attitudes this group will bring to the SRC as well as the overall effects on campus culture and attitudes.

What is the Red Zone Report?

The Red Zone Report is a comprehensive 200-page report, which outlines the historical rape, sexual violence, hazing and bullying that has been reported over the last 100 years, and has largely become emblematic of the culture inherent to Sydney University’s Colleges. The report painfully documents the experiences of victim/survivors of assault and abuse which took place in the University of Sydney’s colleges, which also includes words from the families of those who were not able to survive their assaults.

The report, an utterly harrowing read, contains testimonies, screenshots and excerpts that elucidate alarming patterns of behaviour within the colleges. Ranging from misogynistic chants, to animal cruelty, to predatory events such as the ‘bait-cruise’, ‘fresher five’, and ‘bone room’, to numerous reports of rape and sexual assault, the report is overwhelmingly a call for reform from brave individuals willing to sacrifice their anonymity to get it. The report also details several recommendations from their findings to help prevent the repeat of these events in the future by changing the culture and consequences of the colleges.  

Culture Change

Over the last week, reports of a ‘serious bullying incident’ taking place at St Paul’s College, was published by multiple news outlets within Sydney. An altercation occurred wherein a student had a sex toy shoved into his mouth while 30 odd students watched on. This is not the first time that reporting of such abhorrent behaviour is brought to the public's attention. In 2023, St Andrew’s students were disinvited from the Inter-College Welcome Week events due to a pattern of misogyny, homophobia and intimidating behaviour perpetrated by them against other college students. At the end of 2023, a St Paul’s student also had their ear bitten off at a College event. 

These events make apparent that the culture in the colleges has not changed since the release of the Red Zone Report. The University of Sydney Women’s Collective have long supported the sentiment of ‘Abolish the Colleges’ which is a movement to see the abolition of the traditional colleges to restructure into standardised student housing. This sentiment is also supported by the Australian Greens, who have pledged to bring a bill to NSW Parliament to rectify not just the USyd colleges, but also colleges all across the state at a range of universities.

What is most concerning about the behaviour displayed at last week’s SRC meeting, is that the alumni from USyd’s colleges occupy some of the most powerful positions in Australian politics, whether in the field of law, the sciences, medicine, the arts, academia and theology. This immense reach means that they are incredibly influential in national affairs, and are recorded as boasting numerous former Prime Ministers and justices in their alumni portfolios. 

The call to “abolish the colleges”; isn’t without its merit. It’s born out of a deeply felt anger and frustration with the entrenched issues of privilege, exclusion, and misconduct that have been allowed to fester behind college walls for far too long. The campaign draws from powerful activist roots, aiming to dismantle institutions that, in the eyes of many, represent some of the most glaring remnants of elitism within Australian universities. Those who push for abolition of these institutions, do so with the sincere belief that tearing down these structures is the only way that we can adequately address and rectify the harm they have, and continue to perpetuate. This is a movement powered by a genuine drive for justice—a drive that demands respect, and whose voices deserve to be heard.

However, I believe the problem with the abolition campaign is that it misses the mark of what is currently achievable. By pushing for an end to the colleges rather than current meaningful reform, the movement can fuel the “us vs. them” mentality that Colleges are so often criticised for, by isolating students who live in Colleges and reinforcing the same insider-outsider divide that critics claim the colleges perpetuate. College residents—who are, ultimately, just students like everyone else and integral to changing the culture of the colleges. They are either villains or perpetrators of these atrocities or forced to defend a system they didn’t create but are now made to embody; some of whom may be victims scared to speak out.

If we’re genuinely after change, it’s time to look at practical solutions. Start by lowering the cost of college accommodation, which would make these institutions accessible to a more diverse range of students. Enforce proper, serious consequences for misconduct rather than the half-hearted punishments that have done little to address prolonged patterns of behaviour. Most importantly, revise the contracts between the colleges and the university to mandate the reporting of all incidents to the university—no more vague standards or selective disclosures.

The Red Zone Report recommendations do not advocate for abolishing residential colleges; rather, they call for improved oversight of student residences to address sexual violence effectively. Too often, university leaders deflect responsibility for addressing these issues, using residential colleges as scapegoats while portraying them as separate entities. However, college students are still university students and should fall under the same disciplinary policies as non-college students.

End Rape on Campus Australia (EROC) recommends that universities require any affiliated residences to comply with broader university policies regarding sexual misconduct. Furthermore, EROC highlights the need for transparency in handling cases of sexual violence, advocating that all colleges report cases to the university while maintaining survivor confidentiality unless consented. Additionally, it calls for clear access to university counselling services for college students and encourages open dialogue about college culture, urging universities not to shield colleges from external scrutiny, particularly student media. 

In particular, EROC stresses transparency and accountability for colleges (in order to create a safer environment) and advocates for legislative reviews, enhanced access to complaint procedures, and the criminalisation of hazing. This set of recommendations reflects EROC Australia’s commitment to systemic change, aiming to bridge gaps in accountability that currently allow problematic cultures to persist in colleges.

Real progress won’t come from a campaign to abolish the colleges; it will come from holding these institutions to account in ways that genuinely address student safety and equality. If we’re serious about change, let’s focus on solutions that can deliver it for students now. 

The University of Sydney Women’s Collective is hosting a community vigil to mourn those lost to sexual violence and violence associated with the University of Sydney colleges and to express solidarity with victims/survivors everywhere. 

The event will be held on the University of Sydney campus at the Quadrangle, at 6pm for a 6:30 pm start. 

If you or anyone you know needs assistance please contact the following sexual assault support services and hotlines:

1800 Respect National Hotline: 1800 737 732

Sexual Assault Counselling Australia: 1800 385 578

Braveheart (Support for Child Sexual Abuse Survivors): 1800 272 831

Lifeline (24 Hour Crisis Line): 131 114

Victims of Crime Helpline: 1800 819 817

QLine (LGBTQIA+ Support): 1800 184 527

13Yarn (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Crisis Support): 1800 497 212

 

Neeve Nagle is a member of the Australian Labor Party and an elected member of the University of Technology Students’ Association.