Abstract submission guide

The Australian Universities Safer Campuses Symposium (AUSCS) organising committee invites presentation submissions for the 2026 symposium, to be held 16–17 November at Monash City campus. This year, the focus is on strengthening institutional cultures of care across the tertiary education sector.

Universities and colleges currently operate in a rapidly evolving policy, regulatory, and cultural landscape. As expectations and scrutiny around institutional accountability and student experience grow, so does the need for effective prevention and response to concerning behaviour.

This year’s theme, “Creating cultures of care: embedding prevention and response for safer campuses”, recognises that true safety and equity require sustained leadership, evidence-informed practice, meaningful engagement, and systemic change embedded into everyday campus life.

We invite practitioners, researchers, students, policymakers, and sector partners to submit abstracts showcasing innovative practices, emerging research, critical reflections, and sector-wide lessons.

Presentation themes and formats

Sub-themes

Submissions should align with one or more of the following:

  • National Code implementation
  • sector compliance and accountability
  • intersectional safety issues

Presentation formats

  • Oral presentations
  • Panel discussions
  • Workshops or interactive sessions
  • Student‑led or co‑designed sessions
  • Practice or case study showcases

Who should submit?

We strongly encourage collaborative, cross-institutional submissions, and welcome abstracts from:

  • professional (backgrounds including HR, Student Conduct, Safer Community, Student Services) and academic staff
  • student safety, wellbeing, equity, and compliance practitioners
  • researchers and evaluators
  • students and student representatives
  • government and sector bodies
  • community and specialist service partners

Submission guidelines

Abstracts should be a maximum of 250 words and submitted through our submission form. Your submission should:

  1. Clearly outline the purpose, approach, and key insights or learnings.
  2. Indicate the preferred presentation format.
  3. Identify how the topic aligns with this year’s theme and/or sub‑themes.

Key dates

  • Abstract submissions open: 1 June 2026
  • Abstract submissions close: 24 July 2026
  • Notification of outcomes: 4 September 2026
  • Conference dates: 16-17 November 2026

For submission details and further information, please contact auscsymposium@gmail.com.