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Staff and students to provide feedback on Freedom of Speech policy

Vice-Chancellor Adam Tickell has encouraged staff and students to provide feedback on the University’s review of its Freedom of Speech policy.

MicrophoneAn email today (Tuesday 20 September) to all staff and students gives details of the process and timetable that is being followed, as Sussex seeks to develop an interim policy and set of procedures.

The review arises because of the introduction in September 2015 of the UK government’s Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (2015), which all universities in England became subject to.

In essence, this law requires the University of Sussex to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism” and to be mindful of the need to protect people from being drawn into “non-violent extremism”. Guidance for universities was issued in July 2015. Universities UK has also produced specific guidance on this matter.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is responsible for ensuring that all English universities comply with the law and recognises universities’ responsibilities to support and promote freedom of speech as enshrined in the Education Reform Act (1988).

Other institutions, whose approaches to the Freedom of Speech policy have been cited as good practice, include theUniversity of Birmingham and the University of Bristol.

The University of Sussex’s existing Freedom of Speech policy is also available online.

In June 2016, HEFCE notified the University of Sussex that its Freedom of Speech policy and approach to the Prevent Duty needed improvement in order to comply with the law.

A number of staff and students have contacted Vice-Chancellor Adam Tickell in recent days to express their concerns about consultation in regards to the University’s proposed response to the Prevent legislation and a revised Freedom of Speech policy.

Acting upon this, the Vice-Chancellor put in place a number of steps to ensure that staff and students have the chance to provide feedback on the proposed policy.

In a series of emails to the campus community, the Vice-Chancellor thanked everyone who had shared their views with him.

He said: “It is my firm intention to ensure that all decisions and changes in relation to key University policy and activity happen within an open and transparent environment … It is imperative that our policies are widely understood and accepted.”

Although the University still needs to comply with tight HEFCE deadlines, staff and students will have an opportunity to “have their views heard and considered” and should direct any comments by 10am on Monday (26 September) via their Head of School or Director of division, their trade union, or the Students’ Union.

The University’s governing Council has agreed to consider a revised policy on Wednesday 28 September.

Highlighting “our dual responsibilities to protect and promote freedom of speech and to protect vulnerable people from being drawn into extremism as understood by the legislation”, the Vice-Chancellor said: “Whilst I understand that many members of our campus community object to the very principles of this piece of law, my experience is that it is possible to develop an approach that does not compromise the values of a university.”

Once the interim policy has been consulted on and submitted to HEFCE, the Vice-Chancellor has confirmed that there will be further engagement with staff and students on this issue.