Preventing and responding to harassment & sexual misconduct

Recognising that traditional conduct and discipline processes often leave reporting and responding parties dissatisfied with outcomes, SUMS worked with the University to investigate potential approaches for using restorative practice and an educative approach within student misconduct processes. This approach would sit alongside the traditional disciplinary procedure. We provided the University with a roadmap for change.

Following a comparative study to examine how a SUMS member’s own and five other research intensive universities responded to disclosures and reports of serious student misconduct, we facilitated a closed roundtable event for participating universities to share and discuss the findings on effective practice, challenges, and lessons to facilitate peer learning.

Examples include our work with the University of Nottingham and Aberystwyth University to support their policy framework development. As part of this, we offer 2-day student services policy writing workshops for universities.

SUMS conducted an independent evaluation for the OfS looking at the initial impact of the statement of expectations. We examined how universities and colleges had responded to the statement; heard from students and students’ unions on whether things were changing for the better; and considered whether further change is needed.

When trying to tackle these issues, the position and progress being made is highly variable across the sector. There are examples of excellent practice, but also some very poor practice which could be improved significantly.

This variability spoke most loudly to the need for further interventions to drive change, including for greater regulation. Therefore, we made multiple recommendations for the OfS, other sector bodies and individual providers, foremost among which was for OfS to make prevention and response a mandatory duty and part of its regulatory framework.