Professor Mark Scott AO
Vice-Chancellor and President
The University of Sydney
Dear Mr Bark,
I am sure that you have heard that the University of Sydney Students’ Representative Council (SRC) recently passed a motion that has caused concern among some of our community. I wanted to write to you to assure you the SRC’s motion does not represent the position of the University of Sydney.
The University of Sydney deeply values our Jewish community members, and the close ties we share with the broader Jewish community.
As an institution, we do not consider the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policy appropriate. It is not a University-endorsed policy and we remain open to and encourage links with countries all over the world.
It is important to note that the SRC is a separate entity to the University, run by students and which operates independently. And while one of our core pillars is the protection of academic freedom and free speech, we are reminding the SRC that we believe they share a duty of care to their fellow students to ensure our campus remains one where racist, intimidating, abusive or threatening behaviours are not tolerated.
Respect, inclusion and diversity are among our core values and our Student Charter lays out our expectations for students, including the need to avoid engaging in any bullying or discriminatory behaviour.
We do not tolerate anti-Semitic language or behaviour on our campuses and take any complaints extremely seriously.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this letter. If you would like to discuss further, please contact my office at [email protected] and my colleagues will help to line up a time for us to speak.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Mark Scott AO
Vice-Chancellor and President
The University of Sydney
