Massey’s Harmful Sexual Behaviour policy nearly complete after delays

Massey University’s new Harmful Sexual Behaviours policy is nearly ready to be formally approved and implemented after a several month-long drafting and feedback process. This has come after some delay from the originally slated target date of 23 November for the finalisation stage in the policy’s workplan. 

Paul Robertson, Director for Health, Safety, and Wellbeing and Amy Heise, Executive Director for Student Experience, says “The policy wording has been finalised based on the feedback from the second round of consultation. This second round of consultation took longer than expected as a number of stakeholders requested further time to make a submission.” 

The policy, which first began its conceptualisation as far back as 2019, has gone through two rounds of consultation. After a first draft was formulated, it was shared with students, staff, and local community groups, so they could provide feedback on it throughout September and October last year. From this came a second draft that has incorporated the feedback received during this process. 

 “Because this policy is very important and involves a large number of internal and external stakeholders it was important to keep momentum but also allow those who wished to express their view appropriate opportunity to do so.”   

The last piece of feedback for the policy was received as recently as last week, and the policy is now ready to go through the University’s formal approval process. 

 “It is our intention that this will occur over the coming two weeks and that the policy will be accompanied with an indicative programme of work designed to implement the commitments outlined in the policy.” 

Third year student Phoebe calls herself a “media recluse” who hadn’t heard much about the policy before. “For me, as someone who hasn't had to think about the policy too much, it seems good.” She believes the most important things to include in the policy are the actual measures that protect staff and students from sexual harm in the first place. 

Both the policy and associated implementation plans will be made available publicly once they have been approved.