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The university says on its website that its policy for collecting biometric data from staff and students “is voluntary and based on your consent”.
The University of Melbourne has been contacted for comment.
The National Tertiary Education Union’s University of Melbourne branch has called for disciplinary action against the students to be scrapped given the ongoing investigation.
“Deputy vice chancellor Pip Nicholson should immediately cancel these student misconduct hearings,” branch president David Gonzalez said.
“Melbourne University students who participated in the sit-in did so under the expectation that under the Victorian Charter of Human Rights, their peaceful protest was protected under that law.”
Among the allegations made by the university are that the students’ sit-in of the Arts West building was a health and safety concern that led to the cancellation of classes.
Gonzalez said there was no evidence of safety concerns when the tertiary education union’s health and safety officers inspected the building during the protests.
“These students should have never been tracked as they were in a safe environment. Deputy vice chancellor Pip Nicholson should do the right thing and dismiss these charges immediately,” he said.
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Source Agencies
