A university student say he has been formally disciplined for hanging posters discussing free speech, around the campus at UWA.
“Last month I put up six posters at SOCPAC [societies and public affairs council] for clubs and societies that are associated with the guild,” UWA student and member of the student guild council Finn Penter says.
“These posters said freedom of speech is under attack.
“This was part of a broader campaign the guild is undertaking resisting the restrictions the university has imposed this year on activism, leafleting, postering, chalking, stalls and lecture announcements.”
After placing the six posters, Mr Penter received an email from UWA, containing a ‘notice of student conduct and discipline process.’
Linda Briskman, Margaret Whitlam chair of social work at Western Sydney University, says it’s part of a larger pattern at universities.
“It’s not unique. People at different universities have been experiencing similar attempts of silencing and I think that’s what these measures are designed to do,” she says.
“Universities go to quite extreme measures now to enforce this form of silencing and repression and they become extremely punitive as that example has shown.
“Disciplinary action is taken for what are minor transgressions, if they are transgressions at all. Which, in my view, they are not.”
In the disciplinary document, UWA says the action was taken in line with the university’s by-laws, but Mr Penter says he was targeted for bringing to light UWA’s policy’s inhibiting student activism.
“Activism is a core part of not just university life, but society. It seems that the university wants to ban it. Well, actually, they have. They have just banned activism. And now they’re punishing the activists that are defying that,” Mr Penter says.
“I think they targeted me because I’m an activist.”
Mr Penter worries for the future of tertiary students.
“I think that students across Australia are in danger of losing a lot of the rights that every citizen, or every person, should have across society.”
Professor Briskman agrees.
“Where it might go is quite worrying. We just need to look at what’s happening in America right now. We haven’t got to that extent yet, but I think we need to keep our eye on what’s happening there.”
UWA declined to provide an interview by deadline.