The newly formed Adelaide University is considering removing gas company Santos’s name from one of its buildings.

On Saturday, students and conservationists rallied outside the Santos Petroleum Engineering building, calling on the university to dump the name because of the company’s new gas projects.

The university had already been considering dropping the name after a sponsorship deal expired, its vice-chancellor told Guardian Australia.

Prof Nicola Phillips started as vice-chancellor in January after the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide merged. “That process of consideration was already under way,” she said.

“It’s a particular dimension of a partnership that came to an end some time ago, and it was with the University of Adelaide,” she said. “As Adelaide University, we should be looking at whether the naming is still reflective of our current reality.”

She said the university had an ongoing and good relationship with Santos, with whom it has been communicating about the situation.

In 1999, Santos inked a $25m sponsorship deal with the University of Adelaide to “lay the foundation for the new School of Petroleum Engineering for at least 20 years”, to build the building, appoint a Santos professor, and to provide student scholarships.

The school no longer exists, with the courses now falling under the engineering department.

Phillips said the university had heard from staff who “quite rightly care very deeply about climate” and were invested in the position the new university would take on sustainability.

A student and Conservation Council South Australia (CCSA) campaigner, Darcey McNamara, said promoting Santos was “shameful”.

“Santos gas expansion plans will harm First Nations communities and the pollution will drive more climate change,” she said.

CCSA and others are also calling for the state government to dump the Santos sponsorship of the Tour Down Under.

A recent DemosAU poll of 1,242 South Australians, commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation, found 36% “strongly agree” that gas companies such as Santos should pay for environmental damage caused by their operations, while 38% “somewhat agree”.

In February, Santos successfully defended a landmark greenwashing case in which it was accused of making misleading claims about its net zero plans.

Santos was contacted for comment.

Cory Bernardi mocks Kaurna language

Another sign at Adelaide University was the centre of a very different war of words, kicked off during the state election campaign by the then One Nation candidate, now upper house MP and state party leader, Cory Bernardi.

He posted a video in February standing in front of a sign that read “Niina Marni”, saying: “Here I am at the Niina Marni centre.”

“I don’t know what that is and nor does anyone else, to be honest,” he said.

Niina Marni is a common greeting in the Kaurna language meaning “hello, how are you?” or “are you good?”

In a second video, Bernardi stood in front of a sign at the Women’s and Children’s hospital that reads: “Ngangkiku Ngartuku Kukuwardli”. It means “a place of health that cares for women during pregnancy and birthing, babies, children and young people”.

“Why are we doing this to ourselves? No one knows where the Googa Waggly centre is,” Bernardi said.

Kaurna elder Lynette Crocker told Guardian Australia last month: “I think it’s unfortunate that they have to pick on Aboriginal people to display their disgruntledness … I think it’s the lowest form of communication when he picks on Aboriginal people and [we are at] the bottom end of the spectrum when they [One Nation] have got nothing to say or offer.”

Asked about Bernardi’s comments, Phillips said the university did not share his views.

“I hope that it’s very obvious to anybody who’s following the evolution of our university and the creation of Adelaide University, that that is not a view that we share,” she said.

“Adelaide University has a name which was gifted to us by the Kaurna people (Tirkangkaku), which is enshrined in its act, and we’re very proud of that.”

Phillips also pointed to the university’s appointment of Adnyamathanha/Narungga man and football legend Adam Goodes as a First Nations ambassador and other actions that showed the university’s commitment to the First Nations community.

“I think all of that stands for itself as an indication that we would not share the views that have been expressed,” she said.

“I did want [the appointment of Goodes] to be a really powerful statement about who we are as a university and what we stand for and what we value, and what the commitments and obligations are that we have as a new university in SA, and I do see it as a responsibility and obligation. It’s at the very core of what we are and what we should be about.”