The Sunday National contacted all of Scotland’s universities and asked if it had adopted key measures from the Equally Safe in Higher Education toolkit, as well as additional measures.
READ MORE: Universities act to stamp out sexual abuse – but still work to be done
Abertay: is committed to implementing the toolkit recommendations and has a “robust” sexual harassment policy. Its working group has been developing helpline contact cards for the toolkit in partnership with Rape Crisis Scotland, Women’s Aid, the Scottish Government, the Scottish Funding Council and others.
Dundee: Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA) is launching an awareness of its Zero Tolerance policy with a tongue-in-cheek cacti give-away and the slogan ‘Don’t be a prick’. A strategy group has been appointed to implement the toolkit. The university Enquiry Centre is now the point of contact for all students seeking help with harassment and bullying.
Edinburgh: a taskforce to look at the implementation of the toolkit was set up in August. More than 500 student leaders have been given bystander training and the Consent Collective has been commissioned to deliver workshops. All staff will be given gender-based violence support cards.
Glasgow Caledonian: visible campaigns, including banners and posters will ensure the issue is visible through the university. Its gender based violence policy was launched last November at the same time it became the first university to implement a First Responders Network which allows students to disclose incidents to trained staff. However reports are not recorded.
Herriot Watt: has signed up to the Equally Safe information card scheme where all staff will receive a wallet-sized card with information to support staff who receive a disclosure of gender based violence (GBV). It is rolling out bystander training and has put in place a Safe Zone app, allowing students to send an emergency alert from their phones while on campus. Highlands and Islands: a working group has been created to take forward the toolkit. A gender-based violence strategy is current in draft with training due to discussed at further meetings, as well as data collection of reports made to the university. A gender-based violence code of conduct is also being drafted.
Napier: has developed a new strategy to tackle and prevent sexual violence and misconduct which will be formally launched in October by the University’s Principal and the Student President. Staff across the Edinburgh based University will receiving training on how to deal with the disclosure of sexual violence and students on consent and being an active bystander; similiar training has already been undertaken with 70 clubs and sports reps. Plans for further training are afoot.
Open University: while recognising the importance of the toolkit it said it was based explicitly on a campus-based approach which it aims to interpret and adapt for “our unique model of supported distance learning and teaching”.
Robert Gordon: is offering staff training provided by Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis, including a two-day course for key staff, who will become designated gender-violence champions. It has purchased a Report & Support digital platform so the university can record incidents. It is also launching a new awareness raising campaign ‘Speak up, Speak out’.
Royal Conservatoire: it has an action plan already in place and will identify areas where there are gaps. It is providing guidance to staff on gender-based violence and will soon run workshops for staff and students.
St Andrews: is working on the implementation of the toolkit. New students receive inductions which include info on consent and sexual misconduct. For the past two years workshops have been held for students on gender-based violence issues.
Strathclyde: is implementing the recommendations of the toolkit, which its staff initially developed. It is working with its students’ association to develop student and staff policies on gender-based violence and set-up a dedicated drop-in centre in partnership with Rape Crisis.
University of the West of Scotland: has a gender action plan which includes a focus on gender-based violence prevention initiatives. It is “working to progress” the recommendations of the toolkit. It runs the ‘Standing Safe’ campaign - a student-staff partnership aimed at preventing sexual violence at university and college campuses across the country.
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