Review of the Residential College Culture - Executive Summary

TRINITY COLLEGE INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE CULTURE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY January 2025 Jenny Ethell Alexandra Shehadie

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT In August 2024, the Warden of Trinity College, Professor Ken Hinchcliff, engaged expert independent

consultants Jenny Ethell and Alexandra Shehadie (the Consultants) to conduct a review of the current culture of the College (the Review).

The purpose of the Review was to

Honourable Professor Marcia Neave AO to review the College’s culture in 2019

(the Neave Review). That report made

32 recommendations of which 30 have

been implemented. This Review builds on the work undertaken by Trinity since the Neave Review.

1.2 METHODOLOGY

examine the current College culture

Qualitative and quantitative research

This included determining whether

for the Review.

through the experiences of students. strategies implemented by the College

to strengthen the culture were having a positive effect and whether there were areas that required greater focus.

tools were used to gather the evidence Trinity students were offered a range of

options to maximise their participation in the Review process, including attending

voluntary focus groups, engaging with a

The Review was initiated as a proactive

Consultant in a one-on-one confidential

called in response to a specific incident

and responding to a College-wide

instigated because the College was

engagement with the Review was

current College culture and whether any

experiences and views underpinned the

examination of Trinity’s culture. It was not

interview, providing a written submission

or because of adverse publicity. It was

anonymous online survey. Students’

keen to understand the strengths of the

open, candid and insightful and their

changes or refinements were required.

Review’s findings and recommendations.

The Review is part of Trinity’s ongoing

The survey was sent to all 370 students

culture and student experiences to

represented a 74% response rate - a

diverse and inclusive. Part of Trinity’s

weight to the reliability of the results.

approach to regularly examine its

and was completed by 275. This

ensure the College is safe, respectful,

robust sample which gives significant

approach included engaging the

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1. Executive Summary

The survey explored key themes related

Twenty-one individual student interviews

experiences. Using the Likert Scale

held in person or remotely. They provided

to College culture and students’

and a series of open-text questions,

students were asked about their views and experiences of issues such as

belonging, sense of safety, diversity

and inclusion, support (both academic and wellbeing), the accessibility and

use of alcohol, engagement with staff, student leadership, experiences of

harmful behaviours and reporting these behaviours. Students were also asked

demographic questions on their gender, year level, their usual residence outside of College, whether they identified

as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander,

whether they were international, whether they had a disability, and whether they received a scholarship.

Nine focus groups, facilitated by one of the Consultants, were conducted

including eight with students and one

with Residential Advisers. These sessions were conducted by year groups, with

women only, men only and with an all

gender group. Specific focus groups were

also offered to student leaders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and

were conducted. The interviews were

students with a confidential setting to

share personal or sensitive information

that they might not have felt comfortable doing in a focus group.

Focus groups and interviews also

provided students with the opportunity to make suggestions on initiatives that could be introduced to build on the strengths of the College culture.

1.3 OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS The evidence showed that overall,

Trinity College has a strong, healthy and positive culture. Staff and students alike share a deep commitment to ensuring that all students have opportunities to

thrive. Trinity has implemented a range of strategies and initiatives in recent times to embed a healthy and values-driven culture. Undertaking the independent Neave Review and this current

independent Review are two clear

examples of Trinity’s visible commitment to regularly evaluate its culture and to make improvements where required.

LGBTIQA+ students. The focus groups

allowed for a deeper exploration of the themes identified in the survey as well

as issues important to the students that were relevant to the College culture.

The focus groups provided a forum for

students to openly and honestly discuss their views and experiences of Trinity

culture in a psychologically safe setting.

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1. Executive Summary

The survey results showed that there are

However, like most organisations,

Trinity. Among the results were that:

culture needs constant review and

many strong aspects of the culture at

• 95% of student respondents feel safe both physically and psychologically;

• 87% of student respondents have a strong sense of belonging;

• 94% of student respondents have meaningful friendships;

• 100% of student respondents actively

participate in college activities, clubs and societies;

• 96% of student respondents actively participate in bar nights and social events.

• 96% of student respondents actively participate in corridor activities.

• 83% of student respondents feel

comfortable speaking with a staff

member if they are concerned about another person’s behaviour or they

experience any behaviour that makes them feel uncomfortable.

including residential colleges, Trinity’s refinement. This allows it to remain

effective, inclusive and aligned with the organisation’s goals and the evolving needs of its people. Inevitably this

process can uncover areas that may need strengthening or improvement.

Unsurprisingly then, during this Review the Consultants identified some areas of the Trinity culture that require further focus.

In the survey and in focus groups and interviews, some students identified concerns that detracted from their

College experience. These concerns included:

• Challenges to inclusion and fitting in.

Students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse experiences can

encounter challenges to inclusion

and fitting in with their peers and the broader College environment;

• The strong focus on alcohol at events

Much of the information from the focus

and limited non-alcoholic events. Non-

findings. Students also considered

occasion;

groups and interviews supported these

drinkers reported feeling excluded, on

that the academic programs and

• Training on wellbeing and psychosocial

considerable value. In addition, they

considered useful however there was

opportunities for networking were of found that residing at Trinity assisted them greatly in their transition from

high school to university and offered a

supportive and nurturing environment to grow into adulthood.

hazards. On the whole training was

a strong view that its impact would

be strengthened by contextualising training material to the College environment;

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1. Executive Summary

• Residential Advisers (RAs) and Student Coordinators (SCs). Students strongly supported the model of RAs and

SCs with many commenting on the value and effectiveness of those in

the roles. However, there were some students who felt that the level of

engagement with students was not

always consistent among these office holders with some having a strong

presence, and others having a limited

presence. In addition, RAs in particular commented that they can, on

occasion, feel the emotional weight of distressing disclosures from students; • Staff and student communication.

Students, and student leaders in

particular, have a largely positive

relationship with staff. However, they

believed that communication between staff and student leaders could be

strengthened in relation to decisionmaking and decisions that affected them.

1.4 RECOMMENDATIONS In developing recommendations to

address these issues, the Consultants have drawn on the students’

observations and experiences and on best practice strategies. The

recommendations also build on the strong foundational work already undertaken by Trinity.

The recommendations include that Trinity College:

• continue to strengthen inclusion by acknowledging and considering

students’ diverse backgrounds and

unique lived experiences when making relevant decisions;

• regularly review the College’s policies that relate to culture to ensure they remain current and reflect best practice;

• ensure effective face-to-face training on wellbeing, the Code of Conduct, and how to make a complaint, is

provided to all year groups, and ensure all training is evaluated to monitor its effectiveness;

• offer a greater range of non-alcoholic

drinks and more alcohol-free events to

both enhance inclusion and to act as a harm minimisation strategy;

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1. Executive Summary

• develop a rolling communication strategy that:

• continuously emphasises the unacceptability of harmful

behaviours and includes examples of those behaviours; and

• strongly encourages students

1.5 CONCLUSION This review highlights Trinity College’s commitment to fostering a safe,

inclusive, and thriving community for its students. With overwhelmingly positive

feedback on key aspects of the College’s culture – such as belonging, sense of

to report incidents of harmful

safety, and engagement in activities

witness it. The purpose of this is to

success in creating an environment that

incidents as some students disclosed

and personally. However, the review

concern or a complaint for fear of

continuous monitoring and refinement to

behaviours if they experience or

and events – Trinity demonstrates its

encourage greater reporting of

supports students academically, socially,

that they were unlikely to raise a

also underscores the importance of

retribution or social consequences.

address areas where improvements can

• develop a guide or memorandum

further enhance the student experience.

of understanding between student

By acting on the recommendations

far as possible, the scope, nature and

opportunity to build on its strong

between the two arms of leadership;

These efforts will not only address current

leaders and staff that makes clear, as

made in this report Trinity has the

expectations around communication

foundations of creating a positive culture.

• annually review the engagement and effectiveness of RAs and SCs and

ensure they have accessible support to debrief on distressing disclosures from students;

• monitor progress by annually

challenges but also ensure the College remains a leader in shaping a positive, inclusive, and supportive residential environment for future generations.

Ultimately, Trinity College’s readiness to listen to its students and act

administering this Review’s survey and,

on their feedback highlights its

additional opportunity to participate in

transformative and rewarding College

every two years, offer students the

deep commitment to providing a

focus groups and interviews regarding

experience for all.

College culture.

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