University policies on gender-based violence

The request was successful.

Dear School of Oriental and African Studies,

I am part of a research team at the University of Lincoln looking at policies on gender-based violence in UK universities.

The researchers will analyse existing gender-based violence policies across the UK HE sector. One output of the research will be a user-friendly set of recommendations for practitioners on constructing effective policies, which we trust will be of benefit to your institution and your student communities.

We request that you share with us any and all policies your institution has which address issues of gender-based violence or sexual misconduct, including misconduct among students and between staff and students.

We understand gender-based violence as behaviour or attitudes underpinned by inequitable power relations that hurt, threaten or undermine people because of their (perceived) gender or sexuality. Gender-based violence includes a continuum of behaviours and attitudes both online and offline, such as domestic violence, sexual violence, sexist harassment, and homo/transphobia.

If your university does not have specific gender-based violence and/or sexual misconduct policies, please share your closest relevant policies. Relevant policies include all those which would be used in the event that a member of the university community made a complaint relating to any aspect of gender-based violence (see definition above). If you have any queries about what constitutes a relevant policy, please contact us.

Participants are asked to share relevant policies from their institution in a Word or PDF format.

This project has been assessed by the independent University of Lincoln Research Ethics committee, to protect your interests. The intention of the research is not to ‘name and shame’ institutions, but rather to improve responses to gender-based violence within higher education. Examples of best practice will be shared, but institutions will only be named with permission.

We are aware that you are very busy and greatly appreciate your participation. We hope that the outcomes of this research will benefit the sector, including your institution, and will of course keep you informed about the final report in case it is of interest.

Yours faithfully,

Nicola Chanamuto

Information Compliance Manager, School of Oriental and African Studies

Dear Nicola Chanamuto,

Thank you for your request for information which has been received by
SOAS.

We will provide you with the School’s response as soon as possible and
within 20 working days of the date of your request.

Yours sincerely,

David Ogden

Information Compliance Manager

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Information Compliance Manager, School of Oriental and African Studies

FOI2020/020

 

Dear Nicola Chanamuto,

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information Act request of 28 January 2020.
I have reproduced your questions below together with SOAS’s response.

 

We request that you share with us any and all policies your institution
has which address issues of gender-based violence or sexual misconduct,
including misconduct among students and between staff and students.

We understand gender-based violence as behaviour or attitudes underpinned
by inequitable power relations that hurt, threaten or undermine people
because of their (perceived) gender or sexuality. Gender-based violence
includes a continuum of behaviours and attitudes both online and offline,
such as domestic violence, sexual violence, sexist harassment, and
homo/transphobia.

If your university does not have specific gender-based violence and/or
sexual misconduct policies, please share your closest relevant policies.
Relevant policies include all those which would be used in the event that
a member of the university community made a complaint relating to any
aspect of gender-based violence (see definition above). If you have any
queries about what constitutes a relevant policy, please contact us.

Participants are asked to share relevant policies from their institution
in a Word or PDF format.

 

Our response

SOAS’s approach to preventing and responding to Gender Based Violence is
set out in our published online guidance here:
[1]https://www.soas.ac.uk/equalitydiversity...

 

Where individuals wish to make a formal internal complaint about an
incident of Gender Based Violence, they can make a complaint under the
[2]Student Complaints Procedure or [3]Student Disciplinary Procedure.

 

If the complaint is about a member of staff or contractor the Student
Complaints Procedure should be followed. If the complaint is about a
fellow student, the Student Disciplinary Procedure should be followed.

 

Your right to appeal
I hope that you are satisfied with this response, but if you are not you
can ask me for an informal review within 40 working days of receipt of
this response:

 

Information Compliance Manager

SOAS, University of London

Thornhaugh Street

Russell Square

London WC1H 0XG

United Kingdom

 

Email: [4][SOAS request email]

 

If it does not prove possible to resolve your complaint informally, I will
arrange for a formal review of the handling of your request according to
the School's procedures. These can be found on SOAS's website at
[5]http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp/foi/appea....

 

If you are dissatisfied with SOAS's response following this internal
review, you can apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision on
whether your request has been dealt with in accordance with the
requirements of the Freedom of Information Act or the Environmental
Information Regulations. The Commissioner will normally require you to
have gone through our internal review process first before they consider
your appeal. If the Commissioner finds in your favour, the Commissioner
can require SOAS to release the information to you. The Commissioner can
be contacted at the following address:

 

Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

United Kingdom

 

Further information about your right to appeal to the Information
Commissioner is available on the Commissioner's website
([6]http://www.ico.org.uk/).

 

Yours sincerely

 

David Ogden

Information Compliance Manager

--
Information and Technology Directorate
SOAS, University of London
Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
[7][email address]   [8]http://www.soas.ac.uk/infocomp

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