An update for all students from Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Black.
Whether you have just arrived at the University or are continuing your studies with us, I hope that you have had a good start to the new academic year.
I am writing following some incidents at our main campus over the last few weeks, during which a small group of student protestors has occupied areas of University buildings and disrupted teaching.
These protests relate to the ongoing horrifying conflict in the Middle East, which is a subject that some of our students and other members of our University community understandably have strong feelings about.
As a University, we value freedom of expression including the right to peacefully and respectfully share different viewpoints, which may include through protest. Indeed, I hope that a part of every student’s experience at the University is to hear a broad range of perspectives on many issues, and to develop the skills to disagree well.
However, it is not acceptable to seek to express views in ways that are likely to intimidate or disrupt fellow students or members of staff, as happened earlier this week. The University will respond to and investigate any such incidents accordingly.
In addition, with increased reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia across the country over the past year, I would like to emphasise that discrimination is not acceptable in any form and does not belong in our University. We are fortunate to have a diverse and vibrant student community, and I would encourage every student and member of staff to play their part in making sure our campuses feel safe and welcoming for everyone.
Should you ever experience unacceptable behaviour on campus, please report it using the Report and Support tool so that it can be formally recorded and, when contact information is provided, investigated. To be clear, we will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary action against any student or member of staff who is found to have harassed, bullied or otherwise discriminated against any member of our University community or the wider population.
Finally, I would like to highlight that the University offers a wide range of services to help ensure you feel safe and well. These include our Campus Support team, who help to keep our campuses secure and can be contacted at any time through the free SafeZone app, and our dedicated Wellbeing team, who offer a range of advice and support to help you make the most of your time at the University.