Statement from Deakin University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jane den Hollander

Certain concerns have been expressed to me regarding the staging of a workshop by a religious organisation at Deakin University’s Melbourne Burwood Campus on the weekend of 3-4 October 2015. Deakin University takes such concerns seriously and I thank those involved for their input.

I wish to assure the community that as a major institution of excellence and learning, Deakin University will vigorously support and uphold the principles of academic and intellectual freedom and the right to freedom of expression. It will do this to the full extent practicably possible and within the context of the Australian laws and the Australian way of life. This remains the bedrock and core value of the institution.

As an institution that champions intellectual freedom and the freedom of expression, I also recognise that Deakin University has a responsibility, to itself and the communities it serves, to ensure that it does not knowingly support or allow the institution or its facilities to support or to be used by any groups, individuals or messages that seek to promote or propagate hatred, discrimination, violence or which vilify others based on their race, gender, religion, sex or life and political philosophy.

Deakin University abhors and rejects such entities, their messages and activities. In response to the issues that have been brought to my attention we will continue to refine our processes to ensure that these critical principles drive decisions about how our facilities are used by external groups in the future.

This will enable us to better manage future outcomes for the communities we serve.