Harassment is unlawful and can include:

• Unwanted conduct that is related to the protected characteristics of: age; disability; gender reassignment; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation and that violates the person’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or hostile environment for that person  
• Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature (sexual harassment)  
• Less favourable treatment for rejecting/submitting to sexual harassment  
• Less favourable treatment or harassment related to sex or gender reassignment  
• A course of conduct against one or more individuals, not necessarily related to a protected characteristic, which amounts to harassment (which could include alarming or causing distress to individuals) and which the person undertaking the course of conduct knows or ought to know amounts to harassment. They should know this if a reasonable person in possession of the same information would think the course of conduct amounts to harassment.

Harassment of an individual can take a variety of different forms ranging from repeatedly ignoring an individual or subjecting them to unwarranted attention, to intimidation, humiliation, ridicule or offence. Harassment may not be deliberate; someone may harass another person unintentionally.

Freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas are central to the university’s mission of advancing truth, knowledge and understanding.

This mission requires free and open enquiry within the law, including the airing of ideas or perspectives which may be unpopular or cause offence. This is especially important given that many ideas which were previously regarded as deeply controversial, or offensive are now widely accepted. A commitment to freedom of speech must therefore apply to challenging or unpopular ideas as well as ideas about which there is broad consensus.

Academic Freedom in relation to academic staff at a registered higher education provider means the freedom to question and test received wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions, without placing themselves at risk of losing their jobs or privileges or the likelihood of securing promotion or different jobs at the provider being reduced.

Distressing content

Our curriculum may contain content that you might find distressing. We provide content notes at module or programme level with a verbal or written alert before potentially sensitive material. These content notes aim to signal content that could be distressing, especially to individuals with relevant personal experiences, and to give you opportunity to prepare yourself in an informed way to engage with specific material.

You can read more about free speech and academic freedom in the UoN statement on free speech and academic freedom and in our free speech webpages.

The university has a Personal Relationships Policy that sets out our approach to managing personal relationships between staff and students. It aims to ensure that all interactions are respectful, professional and free from conflicts of interest. To uphold professional relationships founded on trust, confidence and equitable treatment, the University prohibits intimate personal relationships between staff and students where the staff member has direct responsibility for that student (as defined in section 3).

Beyond this, the University strongly discourages staff from engaging in an intimate personal relationship with any student, even where there is no direct responsibility, to avoid potential conflicts of interest or abuses of power.

Why do we have this policy?

•              To ensure positive, respectful interactions between staff and students
•              To protect both students and staff from conflicts of interest
•              To prevent any abuse of power or unfair treatment
•              To create a safe space where concerns can be raised without fear
•              To maintain the university’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place.

What are the main principles?

• Staff should must not enter an intimate personal relationship with students where they have a direct responsibility (as defined in section 3 of the policy)
• The university strongly discourages staff from engaging in an intimate personal relationship with any student, even where there is no direct responsibility
• When students are employed as staff at the university alongside their studies and have direct responsibilities (as defined in section 3) for one or more students, they will be regarded as staff in relation to those students
• Where a staff member is already in a relationship with a student who they now have direct responsibility for, they must report it following section 4.3.1.3 of the policy. Students are also encouraged to disclose.

What if I feel uncomfortable or have concerns?

• If you feel uncomfortable about a staff member’s behaviour or have concerns about a relationship, you can speak to your Head of School/Department, HR or utilise the Report and Support platform. The Report and Support team is part of our student wellbeing service, and will ensure students’ wellbeing is supported.
• You can still report concerns about harassment, sexual misconduct or other unacceptable behaviour even if you were or are in an intimate personal relationship that is not permitted under this policy. You would not get in trouble for reporting it.

You can read the full personal relationships policy here.