The Australian Government has released the national Respect at Uni: Study into antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and the experience of First Nations People.
More than 76,000 staff and students from almost every Australian university took part, making this the most comprehensive national study of racism in higher education available to date.
The findings are confronting. They confirm that racism continues to be experienced by staff and students across the sector, and that its impacts are felt most strongly by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people of faith.
While these results reflect a national picture rather than results specific to La Trobe, they reinforce what many in our community have already told us: racism causes significant harm and demands sustained, systemic action.
At La Trobe, we are clear that racism has no place in our university. That is why we developed our Anti Racism Action Plan 2025–2030. The plan sets out specific actions across student life, teaching and learning, research, and how we operate within our community.
Thank you to all our staff and students who shared their experiences of racism in this survey and more broadly. Your voices are central to driving change at La Trobe.