RMIT: ASSumptions Makes an Ass of You and Me

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

Student Services of RMIT aims to help every RMIT student for a healthy and happy university life. And this time, the Student Services’s campaign would be an anti-racism campaign, which communicates the message of equality between different races in RMIT.

The main problem the campaign faces is that although being racist is viewed as an absolute wrong behaviour, it is done both consciously and unconsciously within our daily lives both on campus and off campus.

Under the Australian laws against racial discrimination, direct racism is prohibited in society, however, making unnecessary assumptions towards minority races is still being common.

This act of unconscious racism is easily to be forgotten and neglected in university life. It is vital for Student Services to arouse members in the university to mind their words and behaviours not to commit in racism, still, to rebuild their perception towards minority races in the university.

WHAT’S OUR OBJECTIVE?

Racism is an unavoidable issue in all communities where this campaign intends on starting from the basics, which is bringing awareness to this issue to campuses. In this way, before students actually step into the community, they would have understand the sensitivity and develop a maturity towards racism.

RESEARCH

Findings:

1. People who are the minority race in a group work often feel like their opinions and ideas are not valued either because of their skin colour, language skills or cultural background. They feel they are not able to fulfil their potential to contribute to the group is often given menial tasks in group work.

2. There is a segregation between people of different races and cultural backgrounds. They hardly interact and hang out outside of the classroom. Usually students would look for people who share similar racial and cultural background to hang out with. Clubs and associations are often also not very diverse and they are almost always dominated by py a particular racial group.

3. People with non-Anglo-Saxon names often feel they are overlooked in class as lecturers at time don’t bother getting their name right and don’t call them by their names at all when asking questions

4. Different races often have assumptions about how people of other races are like based on stereotypes without first getting to know them. This gets in the way in establishing friendships with people of different races and cultural backgrounds.

Conclusion

1. We need to ensure people who are belong to the minority racial group fare given a voice and their opinions matter.

2. We need to encourage interaction between people of different racial and cultural backgrounds and cultivate understanding between these different groups.

3. This is where lecturers/tutors comes in. All students should be made to feel equal in the classroom and lecturers/tutors should try to make the effort to learn their students’ names as well as actively encouraging their participation in class.

4. Educate students on how making assumptions before getting to know someone closes them up of possibly making new connections with people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.

THE BIG IDEA

CREATIVE CAMPAIGN

ASSUMING MAKES AN ASS OF U & ME

CONCEPT

Penetrate the message of -ASSUMING MAKES AN ASS OF U & ME.

Using the common childhood saying of -assumptions makes an ass of you and me, in a adult and mature manner. By hinting to the target audience that by assuming and making stereotypical jokes about different races, cultures and backgrounds, you have made yourself an ‘ass’ over being the better person you can and should be. Ending with a question of their act of assumption and the hashtag #noassumptionsrmit.