Racist discourses and their impact on indigenous Australian students in higher education : when and how should academics respond?

Higher education institutions in Australia would immediately condemn any racist discourse on campus. In practice however what do institutions do to address racism in the classroom? Do academics possess sufficient knowledge and skill to refute racist statements? Racist classroom discourses can be ignored or hidden within the higher education context under the guise of freedom of expression. Universities would also argue however that every student has the right to learn in a non-threatening setting.Many Indigenous Australian students experience racist discourses at university. Do academics challenge students’ responsibility for their statements or do they engage in a discourse of denial?