Rights & responsibilities
The University of South Australia is committed to the inclusion of people with disabilities, mental health or medical conditions in Higher Education. The University has established the Policy for Students with disabilities (Policy No. C-7.4) to support this.
The rights of all students with disabilities to study in an environment with appropriate access to services and support and free of harassment is outlined in the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (1992) and the Disability Standards in Education (2005).
Advocacy and Complaints
In the first instance students who feel they have been unfairly treated should usually discuss the matter with the person involved, given that they feel comfortable to do so. In the event that students are not able to resolve the problem or access issue they should follow the complaints resolution procedures outlined in the University Policy C-17.3. In some situations such as concerns regarding illegal discrimination, students may chose to raise the matter with an advocacy or complaints service in the first instance. Students can contact an advocacy or complaints service such as those listed below for support if they are not satisfied with the outcome or want assistance handling their concern.
- Advocates from the University of South Australia Student Association (USASA) have particular expertise in the areas of academic and educational complaints and the implementation of the rights of students.
- UniSA Student Ombud deals with situations of unlawful discrimination and harassment.
- Australian Human Rights Commission is a Commonwealth body responsible for human rights and discrimination issues.
