Harassment and sexual misconduct - guide for students

Tell us what you think

We are looking for feedback on proposals to address harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education.

These proposals set out expectations of universities and colleges, and require clear, accessible and effective complaints procedures. The intention is that students will:

be aware of the processes for reporting incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct
feel confident in reporting incidents and be supported to do so
know that their complaints will be addressed effectively.

Statement of expectations

We have developed a proposed statement about what we expect universities and colleges to do in this area.

We propose that universities and colleges should meet or exceed these expectations.

The expectations aim to ensure that universities and colleges:

are clear about what they are doing to prevent harassment and sexual misconduct, and are taking action to raise awareness among staff, students and visitors
have clear, accessible and effective policies and processes in place for all students to report and disclose incidents.

We will require universities and colleges to follow these expectations if they are registered with the Office for Students.

Read our statement of expectations and give feedback

Student workshops

We are working with universities, colleges and students’ unions to run a series of student workshops to discuss the consultation and listen to your views. These are taking place in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Published 09 January 2020
Last updated 21 January 2020 + show all updates

21 January 2020: Information about student workshops added

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Harassment and sexual misconduct - guide for students

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