The ANU has told students at the pro-Palestine camp on the campus to clear their tents by Friday or face disciplinary action, according to the university staff union.
Seven pro-Palestine activists were called to a meeting with the university leadership on Monday but refused to attend, the ACT secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union, Lachlan Clohesy, said.
They were then invited again to a meeting on Wednesday morning and decided to go.
At the meeting with the ANU's deputy vice-chancellor, Grady Venville, the ACT union leader said the students were told of "concerns" about the encampment.
Dr Clohesy said the seven were told that they had to dismantle the camp by Friday or face disciplinary action for a breach of the ANU student code of conduct. It is not clear if the ultimatum means by the end of the day or by Friday morning.
A spokesperson for the ANU confirmed the meeting with students took place.
"The meeting was to discuss how ANU students could continue to protest in a manner that ensures the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at ANU," the spokesperson said.
"The university has communicated its expectations to ANU students in this meeting.
"As per the university's code of conduct and student discipline rule, ANU expects participants to follow these reasonable directions.
"The university supports students' right to protest but these activities must be safe and not cause unnecessary harm or damage to our campus or community."
Breaches of the code of conduct can be punished by the suspension of students from the campus, including from exams (and so from qualifications). The ultimate penalty is expulsion.
On top of disciplinary action for organising the encampment, the students may now also face action for not attending Monday's meeting with Professor Venville.
A protest meeting has been called for Thursday at noon. Some students were also lobbying Parliament.
"We're standing with students because it's very important to support the right to protest peacefully," Dr Clohesy said.
There has been a tougher attitude by universities this week.
On Monday, Deakin University's deputy vice-chancellor ordered the "immediate dismantling and removal of the current encampment'' at its campus. The protesters said they wouldn't move.
The Australian tactic may be different from the American one of calling the police in. University authorities, including at the ANU, may hope that the threat of students not getting degrees will be a powerful inducement to pack up the tents.
Last week, Professor Venville emailed individual students: "The encampment is dividing our community and causing members of our community harm. I urge you to reflect on your behaviours and consider how you can respectfully protest without causing harm to other members of our community and to our campus."
The encampment has caused deep divisions at the ANU. Jewish students said elements there were anti-Semitic.
They cited a student seeming to make a Hitler moustache gesture at the annual general meeting of the ANU Students' Association.
Jewish counter-protesters also said that they heard a student say to them, "F--- the Jews".
The toughening of the university's stance comes as the student who went on the radio and supported Hamas "unconditionally" was facing a disciplinary hearing this week.
Arts student Beatrice Tucker said on the ABC: "Hamas deserves our unconditional support."
It may be that attitudes among the pro-Palestine movement are varied. Some may oppose what they perceive to be Israel's over-reaction to the massacres by Hamas of more than a thousand Israelis on October 7. Some support the abolition of the state of Israel. And others support Hamas outright, the group which the Australian government deems to be a terrorist organisation.
One group that backs the protest camp expressed its support for Beatrice Tucker. "Students and Staff Against War ANU" which has 90 Facebook followers has organised a petition.
"We, the undersigned, unequivocally stand in solidarity with Beatrice Tucker and another student as they face threats of repression in the form of disciplinary action from the ANU," the group said.
