Australian universities will be assessed on how they handle protests, encampments, and flag displays under a new antisemitism report card system, leaked documents reveal. The system, fast-tracked after the Bondi terror attack, was devised by antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal and is being implemented by the Albanese government.
The report card, led by constitutional lawyer Greg Craven, will grade universities from A to D across four priority areas. These include policies on campus access, regulation of outdoor protests and encampments, and display of flags and promotional materials. Universities will also be evaluated on their response to such activities, complaints processes, antisemitism training, and adoption of a definition of antisemitism.
The government has not confirmed financial penalties for poor performance, but Segal's plan proposed withholding funding from universities that fail to act against antisemitism. The Group of Eight (Go8) universities, which will be first assessed, have warned the system could be a blunt instrument. Go8 chief Vicki Thomson questioned how funding cuts would improve safety, while the National Tertiary Education Union expressed concerns about Craven's impartiality.
Jewish student groups have backed the report card, with Liat Granot of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students stating that the situation on many campuses is unsustainable. The Executive Council for Australian Jewry supported the system as a last resort. The first assessments are expected by May.
