USC Ally Network - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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USC 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.

USC 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.

USC 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 USC 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.

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

Want to become a USC Ally?

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

Aims of an Ally

Aims of a USC 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.

USC 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 USC 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 2021

TBA

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

Definitions, terminology and resources

Terminology/definitions and external resources 

LGBTIQ+ Leadership Bursary 

Scholarships for young LGBTIQ people through the Pinnacle Foundation

Inclusive Language Guide: Respecting people of intersex, trans and gender diverse experiences (PDF)

Queer Social - Is a student led closed facebook group for student from all campuses to chat about USC life and share resources.

Contact a USC 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
Human Resources
Contact Email
Catherine Baynham cbaynham@usc.edu.au 
Mark McDonnell mmcdonnell@usc.edu.au
Ellie Morrison hmorrison@usc.edu.au
Sue Ferguson sferguson@usc.edu.au

              

Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
Library
Contact Email
Sue Svensen ssvense1@usc.edu.au
Information Services
Contact Email
Alicia Berneville-Claye abernevi@usc.edu.au
Sage Pilot
Contact Email
Elvessa Marshall     emarsha1@usc.edu.au
Academic Support Unit
Contact Email
Sonya Smith SSmith1@usc.edu.au
Ussanee Huntley uhuntley@usc.edu.au 
Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems
Contact Email
Lauren Coventon   lcovento@usc.edu.au
Kerri Salmon    ksalmon@usc.edu.au
School of Law and Society
Contact  Email 
Dr Larissa 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
Dr Andy Ward  award4@usc.edu.au 
Dr Briony Luttrell  bluttrel@usc.edu.au 
Hannah Banks      hbanks@usc.edu.au
School of Heath and Behavioural Sciences
Contact  Email
Ava Farley  afarley@usc.edu.au
Daniel Mellifont  dmellifo@usc.edu.au 
Professor Marion Gray Marion.Gray@usc.edu.au
Dr Florin Oprescu    foprescu@usc.edu.au 
   
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Contact Email
Matthew Mason  mmason1@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 
Guy Rushton     grushton@usc.edu.au 
Erin Siostrom  esiostrom@usc.edu.au 
Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
Graduate Research School
Contact  Email
Lyndal Viney    lviney@usc.edu.au 
Office of Research 
Contact  Email
Samantha Valentine  svalenti@usc.edu.au
Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (International and Quality)
International Office
Contact Email
Mandy Cilantro    mcilento@usc.edu.au
Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students)
AccessAbility Services and Learning Advisors
Contact Email
Dr Alison Jaquet   ajaquet@usc.edu.au
Deborah Flashman    dflashm1@usc.edu.au 
Sonya Holder   serringt@usc.edu.au 
Peter Cahill    pcahill@usc.edu.au 

Student Services and Engagement
Contact  Email 
Rani Kleinhans    rkleinh1@usc.edu.au 
   
Jessica Bryant    jbryant@usc.edu.au 
Anna Hodkinson  ahodkins@usc.edu.au 
   
   
Student Wellbeing 
Contact Email
Sharon Anderson    studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au 
Karryn Bratby  studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au 
David Duncan dduncan@usc.edu.au
Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Community Engagement
Professor Joanne Scott, Pro Vice Chancellor Engagement and Chair of the Vice Chancellor President Equity and Diversity Committee
Community Engagement
Contact  Email
Dr Eva Marie Seeto eseeto@usc.edu.au
Julie Hobbins  jhobbins@usc.edu.au 
Veronica Sanmarco vsanmarc@usc.edu.au
Marjorie Blowers   mblowers@usc.edu.au
Dr Sarah Glencross sglencross@usc.edu.au 
Art Gallery
Contact Email
Lou Jaeger  ljaeger@usc.edu.au
Development Office   
Contact Email
Elizabeth Brooks      ebrooks@usc.edu.au
Marketing and External Engagement
Contact Email
Michelle Moore  mmoore@usc.edu.au 
Rebecca Cundy  rcundy@usc.edu.au 
Holly Tompkins     htompkins@usc.edu.au 
Student Ambassadors (M&EE)
Contact Email
Maddy Best      mbest@usc.edu.au
Indigenous Services 
Contact Email
Nicole Copley indigenous@usc.edu.au  
Office of the Chief Operating Officer
Asset Management Services
Contact Email
All Safe USC Community Officers  safe@usc.edu.au 

Felicity Burridge                                fburridge@usc.edu.au 

Campus Coordinator

Robyn Clark                                      rclark1@usc.edu.au

Student Services and Engagement

Meredith Young                                 myoung@usc.edu.au

Human Resources 

Sarah Lowry                                      slowry@usc.edu.au 

School of Education and Tertiary Access 

Erin Siostrom                                   esiostrom@usc.edu.au

USC 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.