Service

Student Services

Policy / Service / function name

Student Regulations including Code of Behaviour & Disciplinary Procedures

Name of author

Christine Coleman,

Lead director

Director of Student Services

Date of Policy

August 09

equality and diversity strands

Which of the following equality and diversity strands or other groups does this policy / service / function incorporate?

Could this have a positive or negative impact?

yes

no

n/a

positive

negative

1. Age

yes

positive

2. Religion / Belief / Faith

yes

positive

3. Disability

yes

positive

However, duty of care section could be better phrased in order not to be construed as negative

4. Race

yes

positive

4. Sex

yes

positive

5. Gender Reassignment

yes

positive

5. Sexual orientation

yes

positive

6. Marriage and Civil Partnership

yes

positive

7. Pregnancy & maternity

yes

positive

Inequalities identified

This document clearly states the University's commitment to Equality and Diversity and the expectation that students adhere to this policy. The following sections clearly states these intentions:

These include:

a) The Student Code of Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures

b) All codes relating to Faculties, Subjects or Service areas of the University

c) The Equality and Diversity Policy, the Single Equality Scheme, incorporating the

Disability Equality Scheme, the Gender Equality Scheme and the Race Equality

Scheme, including all statutory requirements (e.g. the Disability Discrimination

Act, the Race Relations Act and the Race Relations Amendment Act)

d) The terms of all contractual arrangements entered into with the University

e) All academic and professional regulations governing the operation and

assessment of your course.

f) All codes of behaviour relevant to professional bodies associated with your

course

g) All codes of behaviour relevant to the Students' Union. (page 18)

The document clearly articulates that any form of harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated, citing thus:

D.2.2.7 A student must not:

(i) assault any person or engage in behaviour, which may involve an offence to any

person.

(ii) harass or discriminate against any person or engage in behaviour, which may

involve an offence or cause offence to any person.

(iii) engage in any form of offensive, threatening and/or abusive behaviour, including any form of behaviour which is likely to cause fear, distress or offence to others.

(iv) engage in any form of behaviour which amounts to harassment or intimidation

and/or discrimination of any member or visitor of Edge Hill University.

(v) engage in any form of behaviour which amounts to harassment or intimidation

and/or discrimination towards people on the grounds of:

a) age

b) disability

c) race

d) marriage or civil partnership

e) pregnancy or maternity

f) religion or belief (including lack of belief)

g) sex

h) gender reassignment

i) sexual orientation

(Sexual harassment includes harassment of transsexual people, including the outing of a transsexual person.) (Page 19-20)

However Section C3 Suspension or Exclusion For Non Disciplinary Reasons:

The section Page 14 C3.3.(iii) Matters which may give rise to concern over duty of care issues could be rephrased to be more sensitive. Where professional requirements and the overriding duty of care to the vulnerable and to protect children is such, there is an inevitable tension between managing the demands of these and offsetting such against the wants / needs of individuals. This will be considered once more in the review and updating of the Regulations for 2010/11.

Recommendations for action

To reword this particular section so that it reads more disabled friendly - work with the Inclusion Team and the Head of Counselling.

If yes, please state:

E & D strand/s

yes

no

1. Are there any issues which may exclude people from using / benefitting from the policy / service / function?

no

2. Are there any issues which may exclude employees from their duties?

no

3. Does the policy / service / function contain any conditions which are applied to everyone, but disadvantage particular persons' because they cannot comply due to one of the equality and diversity strands?

no

4. Does the policy / service / function present any issues which may exclude employees from carrying out their duties?

no

Decision

If no to all 4 questions, there is no requirement for an EIA

Objective justification to all questions that were answered as yes. Please state the objective justification (EIA not required):

The section highlighted above will be reviewed by the Head of Counselling and the Head of Inclusion to ensure more appropriate wording of the section which makes explicit that on rare occasions, by exception, the Institution may have to suspend individuals, because of our overriding duty of care to protect the public, children and the vulnerable.

Amendment to document as discussed with programme manager for equality and diversity (EIA not required if approved).

If yes you must now complete an EIA prior to implementing this document.