Universities Australia’s National Student Safety Survey (NSSS) is underway at Flinders and other Australian Universities, and 9990 Flinders students have received an invitation to participate.

The NSSS will collect data on the scale and nature of university student experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault, so that universities understand what they can do better to ensure a safe environment. If you’ve been asked to take part, please do – it’s really important that your voice is heard, whether you’ve experienced an issue or not.

Nearly 700 people have responded during the first week – which is fantastic – but there are still many more voices we’d like to hear. Sometimes life moves so fast that things on our to-do list get lost, plus we’re conscious that the survey coincides with semester break so it might be easily overlooked by the time the 3 October closing date rolls arounds. That’s why it’d be great if you could take a few minutes now to take part, because your experience is valuable and could make all the difference.

If you didn’t receive an invitation to the survey but want to share your story, you can do so anonymously on the Universities Australia website.

If the NSSS raises issues for you and you need support, help is available. If you think you may have experienced, witnessed or heard about an incident of sexual harassment or sexual assault, you can make a report here. If you need immediate assistance call campus security on 8201 2880 or dial 000 in case of an emergency.

Our student-centred ethos is a big part of what makes Flinders a great place to study. We want you to have a positive experience in a welcoming, fun and safe environment, whether you are studying on campus or online. We recognise this takes constant work and ongoing improvement – so please take part in the National Student Safety Survey before Sunday 3 October, to enable us to shape a safer community.