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UniSC Ally Network

'Creating safe study and work spaces for LGBTIQ+ students and staff'

All Australian universities have an important role to play in promoting inclusion and tolerance.

UniSC support diversity in the higher education sector and recognise the rights of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer students and staff to learn, live and work, free of prejudice and discrimination, with all the essential freedoms enjoyed by other members of our university community and the broader population.

UniSC will not tolerate harassment or discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Please be aware that codes of conduct for staff and students apply at all times. The Student Charter sets out the expectations the University has of its students and also the obligations of the University to  its students. The Student Expectations and Responsibilities site provides further relevant information for students.

Please make use of our Student Wellbeing Services, Student Guild Advocacy, Security and Safety at any stage if you need support, or advice on reporting or disclosing harassment. If you would like external support and advice you can call Diverse Voices, (peer to peer LGBTIQ telephone and internet counselling service).

Invitation to become a UniSC Ally

An Ally is an individual who is informed about, empathetic towards and has an understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) issues.

An Ally acknowledges the experiences, upholds and supports the rights of LGBTIQ individuals by raising awareness of diversity in personal identity, gender, and relationship choices.

UniSC Allies act as a point of contact for staff and students on LGBTIQ issues and can discuss these areas confidently.

Want to become a UniSC Ally?

For more information about the program as well as training events, contact diversity@usc.edu.au

Aims of an Ally

Aims of a UniSC Ally

  • advocate for and support cultural change
  • build and support an advocacy network
  • help create a safe and inclusive educational and work environment through education and develop further awareness and visibility of LGBTIQ staff and students and their issues and
  • call out (where safe to) inappropriate anti-LGBTIQ+ behavior
Roles and responsibilities of an Ally

An Ally is:

  • an open, understanding, non-judgmental and comfortable listener
  • aware of maintaining confidentiality.
  • knowledgeable of the additional support available at USC and in the wider community.
  • NOT necessarily a counsellor, nor necessarily trained to attend to crisis situations, but aware of the referral process.
  • NOT necessarily from the LGBTIQ community.
  • NOT necessarily able to act upon grievance processes associated with bullying, discrimination or harassment. However be aware of the referral process.
  • Committed to promoting USC as a safe, inclusive and diverse university.

UniSC Ally responsibilities:

  • participate in an interactive training program and commit to ongoing personal education on the experiences of the LGBTIQ+ community
  • publicly identify as an ally by allowing your name and faculty/department to be available or student contact details to be published on the UniSC ally web page
  • display an ally sign on your office door to affirm your commitment
  • provide a safe place for individuals to access you
  • be open to questions relative to LGBTIQ issues
  • working within and support existing equity policies
Professional Development workshops

Ally Workshops for 2022 

All workshops for 2022 have now concluded

USC Allies act as a point of contact for staff and students on LGBTIQ issues and can discuss these areas confidently.

Learn about:

  • LGBTIQ terminology
  • Sexual orientation and Gender identity
  • Myths, values and stereotypes associated with LGBTIQ
  • Different types of discrimination
  • Factors which make it difficult for LGBTIQ students and staff

All Allies will get resource packs so they can clearly display they are allies. Your groups will also be listed as known allies that students can go to.

Students: Register at Student Hub 

Staff: Contact staffdevt@usc.edu.au 

For further enquiries email diversity@usc.edu.au

Contact a UniSC Ally

Look for an official ally sign or rainbow flag on an office door or reception counter.

 
Office of the Vice Chancellor and President
Office of the Vice Chancellor and President
Contact Email
Kate Hunt kjhunt@usc.edu.au
              
Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
Student Services and Engagement
Contact  Email 
Rani Kleinhans    rkleinh1@usc.edu.au  
Bree Glasbergen studentrep@usc.edu.au 
Jessica Bryant    jbryant@usc.edu.au  
Anna Hodkinson  ahodkins@usc.edu.au  
Tess Robinson trobinson@usc.edu.au 
Emma Christie echristie@usc.edu.au 
Peter Cahill    pcahill@usc.edu.au  
Daniel Meloncelli dmeloncelli1@usc.edu.au 
Alice Lingard alingard@usc.edu.au 
Sonya Holder   serringt@usc.edu.au  
Student Wellbeing 
Contact Email
Sharon Anderson    studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au  
Karryn Bratby  studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au  
Alex Sharp studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au 
David Duncan dduncan@usc.edu.au 
Library Services
Contact Email
Alicia Berneville-Claye abernevi@usc.edu.au
Donna Laffin dlaffin@usc.edu.au
Sue Svensen ssvense1@usc.edu.au
Academic Support Unit
Contact Email
Jodi Winning  jthomas2@usc.edu.au
Caitlin Finger cfinger@usc.edu.au

School of Law and Society
Contact  Email 
Dr Lara Christensen   lchriste@usc.edu.au 
Natalie Cairns  ncairns@usc.edu.au  
Ashley Pearson    apearson@usc.edu.au  
School of Business and Creative Industries 
Contact  Email
Lee McGowan lmcgowa1@usc.edu.au 
Dr Andy Ward  award4@usc.edu.au  
Dr Briony Luttrell  bluttrel@usc.edu.au  
Hannah Banks      hbanks@usc.edu.au 
Gail Crimmins GCrimmins@usc.edu.au 
School of Heath 
Contact  Email
Daniel Mellifont  dmellifo@usc.edu.au 
Professor Marion Gray Marion.Gray@usc.edu.au
Dr Florin Oprescu    foprescu@usc.edu.au 
Matthew Mason  mmason1@usc.edu.au  
Chantal Perera cperera@usc.edu.au 
Tereza Carpenter tcarpenter1@usc.edu.au
School of Education and Tertiary Access
Contact  Email
Dr Anne Drabble  adrabble@usc.edu.au 
Sandra Elsom   selsom@usc.edu.au  
Dericka Frost dfrost@usc.edu.au  
Erin Siostrom  esiostrom@usc.edu.au  

 

Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems
Contact Email
Kelly Stewart KAMurphy@usc.edu.au 
Kerri Salmon    ksalmon@usc.edu.au 
Graduate Research School
Contact  Email
Lyndal Viney    lviney@usc.edu.au  
Office of Research 
Contact  Email
Samantha Valentine  svalenti@usc.edu.au 
Athena Swan
Contact Email
Elvessa Marshall     emarsha1@usc.edu.au 

 

Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global & Engagement)
 
Advancement Office   
Contact Email
Elizabeth Brooks      ebrooks@usc.edu.au 
Kate Evans kevans@usc.edu.au 
Melissa Price melissa.price@usc.edu.au 
International Office
Contact Email
Mandy Cilantro    mcilento@usc.edu.au 
Georgia Hooper ghooper1@usc.edu.au 
Marketing 
Contact Email
Michelle Moore  mmoore@usc.edu.au  
Rebecca Cundy  rcundy@usc.edu.au  
Holly Tompkins    htompkins@usc.edu.au  
Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Strategy)
Indigenous Services 
Contact Email
Nicole Copley indigenous@usc.edu.au   

 

Office of the Chief Operating Officer
People and Culture
Contact Email
Cathy Baynham cbaynham@usc.edu.au 
Fiona Murphy fmurphy@usc.edu.au
Facilities Management
Contact Email
All Safe UniSC Community Officers  safe@usc.edu.au  

Felicity Burridge                                fburridge@usc.edu.au  

Robyn Clark                                      rclark1@usc.edu.au 

 

Student Services and Engagement

Meredith Young                                 myoung@usc.edu.au 

People & Culture 

Sarah Lowry                                     slowry@usc.edu.au  

School of Business and Creative Industries 

Dr Shahab Pourfakhimi                      Shahab.pourfakhimi@usc.edu.au     

Justine Hudson                                 jhudson3@usc.edu.au

School of Education and Tertiary Access 

Erin Siostrom                                   esiostrom@usc.edu.au

School of Law and Society 

Dr Amy Clarke                                 aclarke1@usc.edu.au 

Student Services and Engagement

Joe Del Vecchio                                jdelvecc@usc.edu.au 

Bree Glasbergen                              studentrep@usc.edu.au 

Alice Lingard                                   alingard@usc.edu.au 

 

UniSC Student Guild
Manager

Emily Wall                                        ManagerStudentGuild@usc.edu.au 

Events Coordinator

Dan Bolton                                       EventsStudentGuild@usc.edu.au                   

How to identify a Student Ally

Many students are LGBTIQ+ Allies and show this by wearing a Diversity Champion Lanyard, Rainbow Lapel Badge or Ally Sticker  on their books or bags.

Renee Curran                                  rcurran1@usc.edu.au