Professor Trish Mundy and Dr Nancy Huggett are on the front line of dealing with sexual assault and harassment at the University of Wollongong.
The women lead the Safe and Respectful Communities team that offers support for students who have seen or experienced sexual assault.
They say NSW's new affirmative consent laws, which came into effect on June 1, will be a game-changer for victims of sexual assault.
"[In the past] our conversation has been about what the survivor or complainant did or didn't do to show they weren't consenting," the university's Dean of Law, Professor Mundy, said.
As of now, the onus is on the defendant to prove they sought and were granted consent for any kind of sexual activity.
The law now also rules that if someone is too drunk or unconscious, they cannot give consent.
Professor Mundy said the changes were likely to result in more successful convictions for sexual assault.
"I think by changing the focus [to] what was said and done to ascertain consent and make clear when it's not freely and willingly given, that can only improve the prosecution and the experience in court for complainants," she said.
Laws to address harassment at university
Figures released earlier this year by the National Student Survey found 18.5 per cent of students at the University of Wollongong had been sexually harassed since starting university.
Dr Huggett said it was a big problem across all universities.
"Whether it's improving lighting, making sure our students have security escorts if it's after dark and they need to get to their car, and information ... there's lots we can do to try and stop sexual harassment and assault."
Consent module compulsory
A major initiative at the university is to make its online Consent Matters module compulsory for all students to complete in the second half of this year.
"Consent Matters has been available online for a few years, but the feedback from students is it should be mandatory," Dr Huggett said.
"How to say no and how to ask for consent and make it attractive and something you want to do, not something you're nervous about."
She said with students back on campus after the long period of COVID lockdowns and online study, sexual assault became a major issue.
"We have a lot of students exploring their sexuality and I think it's important going into their leisure activities that they're armed with the facts."
