About Transforming Culture

At the University of Adelaide, we are transforming our culture, to ensure our staff, students and community are engaged and supported in an inclusive and safe environment.

We are building a culture where everyone is respected, and feels welcome and motivated.

For updates and information on our work, please click on the communications links below.

Visit our resources page for information sheets and postcards on values, behaviours and leadership.

The Transforming Culture program is contributing to a successful and productive workforce by enhancing leadership capability and integrity across all levels of our organisation.   

This diagram shows how all initiatives being implemented by the Transforming Culture Program, grouped across 7 workstreams, are delivering 3 key outcomes to contribute to a safe and inclusive culture for all. Members of the Vice Chancellor’s Group across the university oversee the progress being made against each Workstream.    

The Transforming Culture program

KPMG Report

In 2021, KPMG Australia conducted a review of relevant policies and procedures and facilitated a consultation program focused on gaining insight into how the University's policies, procedures and processes relating to sexual assault and sexual harassment are applied, and the lived experience of interacting with them.

The KPMG Australia final report contains 22 Recommendations, which are being implemented through the work of the Transforming Culture Program. Regular reports on achievements and measures of success against these Recommendations are made to a Transforming Culture Program Board Chaired by Professor Katrina Falkner, and the University’s Risk and People and Culture Committees.

Each Recommendation is project managed to deliver against the 3 Transforming Culture Outcomes. Please visit the monthly blog for more detailed information about the status of Recommendation projects and other initiatives of Transforming Culture. 

Summary of KPMG Recommendations:

R1a. The Vice-Chancellor's Executive (VCE) to hold Values and Behaviours Workshops

R1b.  Design and undertake a restorative engagement process

R2. Seek regular feedback from members of the University environment on culture, values and behaviours

R3. Embed the Values and Behaviours Framework

R4. Expand the Safer Campus Community initiative to incorporate staff safety

R5. Clearly communicate reporting options

R6. All reports of substantiated misconduct should be attached to staff files as standard practice, without exclusions, and access to staff files should be reviewed for appropriateness

R7. Ensure all reports related to SASH are recorded in a central database

R8. Risk management framework should be updated to reflect controls related to SASH and diversity and inclusion

R9. Introduce recurring Ethics and Integrity training

R10. Conflict of Interest training to be updated for the University's specific environment and mandated as part of induction and Ethics and Integrity training

R11. Develop and introduce a mandatory training program to educate staff on behavioural expectations and inappropriate behaviours in the University's context, with specific reference to sexual assault and sexual harassment

R12. Develop and introduce a role specific People Leaders training program

R13. Use role specific training for Fair Treatment Contact Officers (FTCO) to reinvigorate the FTCO network

R14. Enhance the training offering available to students on SASH topics

R15.Establish a University-wide independent Integrity Unit

R16. Develop a more rigorous approach to managing the safety and wellbeing of staff and students involved in a report or investigations process

R17. Review of the Human Resources (HR) function and core enabling capabilities

R18. Streamline and refresh the University Policy Framework as it relates to SASH and misconduct

R19. Introduce a standalone Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment policy for staff

R20. Expand the Student Policy Framework scope

R21. Redesign and standardise the Conflict of Interest Management process

R22. The Office of General Counsel draft a Governance Policy that relates to the treatment of legal advices