CURTIN University of Technology will hold rigorous background checks on all staff as part of sweeping changes in the wake of a former academic being accused of pressuring three female international students for sex in exchange for higher marks.
A Corruption and Crime Commission report tabled in State Parliament contained five opinions of serious misconduct against Dr Nasrul Ali.
None of the complainants were prepared to be involved in a criminal prosecution and the commission made no recommendation for further action.
The events took place early last year when Dr Ali was employed as a sessional academic with the Curtin Business School, where he worked as a tutor, lecturer and unit coordinator.
The students were all from China.
While there was no sexual contact between Dr Ali and the students, the report said he targeted young, vulnerable, full fee-paying overseas female students.
Dr Ali's employment was terminated after two students made complaints to the university in April last year.
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Jeanette Hacket said Dr Ali did not undergo any background screening when he was employed on a casual basis in 2004.
"The university now has in place a sessional staff policy and procedure and every person employed at Curtin will undergo rigorous screening," she said.
“We are now rolling out a student wellbeing initiative across the university and have established a professional standards and conduct unit which is developing an information and education program on staff conduct.”
Commissioner Len Roberts-Smith said Curtin had accepted the five recommendations made in the report to improve practices, policies and procedures.
“The university acted very quickly to protect the victims and has taken a number of steps towards improving its systems for the detection, reporting and management of misconduct,” he said.
For the full report on Curtin’s response and actions in the wake of the misconduct allegations, read next Tuesday’s Canning Times or Southern Gazette.