SpeakUp Strategy & Campaign Development
About the Strategy
The SpeakUp Strategy is the University's way of creating and fostering a culture of respect and integrity. The University does this by ensuring our community knows the expected behaviours and how to speak up when they experience or see unacceptable behaviour. We developed this Strategy in 2023 in consultation with students and staff, looking at the data and learning from the best practices in and outside of universities. The Strategy has specific goals, ways to measure progress and steps to strengthen a SpeakUp culture at UNSW.
If you would like to know more about how you can speak up and the support available, visit our Contact & Support page.
SpeakUp branding and campaign messaging
In 2023 UNSW partnered with YourCall to develop a framework that would encourage our community to speak up about unacceptable behaviors at UNSW. The framework comprised different phases, with the first being to develop a brand and campaign that would raise awareness of how to speak up amongst students and staff. We'll use physical spaces on campus and digital spaces like our website and social media to get the message across to our community.
Following consultation with students and staff, the overarching campaign message landed on: “Want to speak up? You’ve got our Support”. The students and staff engaged were diverse groups from across the UNSW community and included students and staff of different genders, cultures and sexualities, students at different stages of their studies as well as academic and professional staff from a range of faculties. The expected behaviours laid out in the new Code of Conduct due for release mid 2024 will feature in future SpeakUp campaigns. Future phases of the framework include leadership training on expected behaviours and fostering a SpeakUp culture, along with the creation of a SpeakUp network that will be embedded across the University.
Feedback from our community about gendered violence
Our decision not to explicitly call out gendered violence in the SpeakUp campaign was based on feedback from students and experts. We want to approach gendered violence messaging and campaigns separately and with greater sensitivity due to the potential challenges people may face when speaking up if they or someone they know has experienced gendered violence.
If you would like to get involved in future phases of our SpeakUp work, please send your expression of interest to: cio@unsw.edu.au.