Those who have been wondering what it would take to prompt the old boys club that runs St Paul's College at Sydney University to acknowledge the college's misogyny problem, let alone do something about it, now have their answer. It takes the unprecedented double whammy of a very public expression of disgust from the university vice-chancellor and a threat from the education minister about redrawing the anachronistic legislation by which the colleges are governed.

The warden and chairman of St Paul's have retired after the latest scandal. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The sooner governance of university residential colleges is reformed to be appropriately accountable to the wider communities in which they operate, the better. It's not just a college problem. A series of scathing reports have revealed high numbers of sexual assaults against Australian university students and an active cover-up culture on the part of the institutions. One report showed almost 500 official complaints of sexual assault and harassment have been made to universities in the past five years, including 145 reports specifically of rape, but there have been only six expulsions. The figures no doubt represent a small fraction of the true number of assaults. Decades late, the universities are taking steps towards improvement, including by committing to release data on sexual assaults on their campuses.

The most recent incident in a history of disgusting behaviour at St Paul's College involved a student's Facebook post in March comparing women to "harpooned whales" and signed off with "Happy slaying". The university's vice-chancellor Michael Spence properly called out the weak response of college warden Ivan Head warning that such posts could affect students' career prospects, saying it "fails to address the deep cultural problems evident in the life of his college", namely, a "deep contempt for women". The education minister Rob Stokes said he was "shocked" and would look at options for changing or repealing the various Acts under which university colleges operate.

Mr Head the warden has since retired as has the college chairman Angelo Hatsatouris. The college board has acknowledged it needs to address the college's "unacceptable culture". It has also, belatedly, requested to join the university-wide review into college culture led by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, after previously insisting on its right as a self-governing body to self-investigate.

Some might say that boys will be boys and that punishing them for Facebook posts is an attack on their freedom of speech. The issue, though, is one of respect and ensuring a safe environment for all regardless of gender, colour or point of view. Consider the appalling attack on conservative commentator Andrew Bolt on a Melbourne street this week. We may not agree with some of Mr Bolt's views, but he should be free to express them without fear of violence to his person. His assailants should be punished according to the law, as should anyone who threatens, assaults or harasses their fellow citizens. Likewise, there should be no exceptions or cover-ups for students or incidents that occur on campus.

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