Students and Apprentice learners

All students and apprentice learners are entitled to study within a university culture that values debate and in which they can hold or discuss lawful views.

Student guide to free speech in higher education

The law gives free speech in universities and colleges very strong protection. Universities, colleges, their staff and students should have a high tolerance for all kinds of lawful speech.

Watch this Student guide
 
What to expect from us

Under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023), we must take 'reasonably practicable' steps to secure freedom of speech within the law for our students, staff, members and visiting speakers. 

What to expect from us

What is 'reasonably practicable' may vary. But, in a wide range of cases, students can expect the following

Your viewpoint should not affect whether you are admitted to another course within our university (e.g. for postgraduate study). If we have made a binding offer to you, it should not revoke or vary that offer because of your viewpoint. 

If we have offered you a place based on funding, restricting your lawful free speech would not be a condition for receiving the funding.   

You will not be disciplined or expelled for expressing lawful ideas, although in some circumstances we may restrict the time, place and manner of expression.  

If you want to engage in lawful and peaceful protests or demonstrations, we will not restrict this because of the viewpoint that you are expressing. However, it may in some circumstances restrict the time, place and manner of protest, for instance to protect physical safety or the continuation of teaching, learning or research. 

A speaker who has been invited to an event should not be prevented from speaking because of their ideas, if their speech is within the law. Peaceful protest is a form of free speech, but it must not shut down debate. 

If a speaking event affects the essential functions of our university or there is a concern about physical safety, then we may regulate the time, manner or place of the event. 

We will not treat you any more or less favourably than any other student because of your viewpoint or ideas. 

Your viewpoint or ideas should not, for example, mean that your we change the educational experience you have, alters your access to benefits or services, or unfairly marks your work down.  

If your course involves research, and your research leads (or may lead) to a conclusion (within the law) that conflicts with our values, or creates risks to our reputation, this is unlikely to be a reason for us to restrict it.  

As your university, we will also give students and apprentice learners an induction on free speech. You can also visit this link to watch a pre-recorded session that can be viewed in addition to this single comprehensive source of information .

To meet our regulatory duties to you as students and apprentice learners, we have developed clear, accessible information on how we handle all forms of harassment. This includes how to report an incident, what support is available, and how cases are investigated. Please look at our comprehensive source of information here  

We also take several credible steps to prevent harassment. This has included working with students and your representatives when developing our policies and procedures to ensure that they are appropriate for our specific context and our student population. 

You cannot raise a complaint that results in the University punishing someone else's viewpoint – and nor will we punish your viewpoint – so long as the views are lawful. 

If you have a concern or complaint about free speech, in the first instance you may wish to raise us.  

The University takes all complaints seriously. Many are resolved quickly and informally between the parties concerned, and we strongly recommend you raise your concerns as soon as a problem arises. Dealing with a problem early may prevent it from getting bigger and more difficult to resolve. 

However, where an informal resolution is not possible, the Complaints and Student Casework Unit is there to provide an effective and efficient service, enabling complaints to be resolved without recrimination and in a confidential manner. 

Students' Union: 

Postgraduate Research Students: 

Research students who are dissatisfied with their conditions of work or the quality of their supervision should wherever possible discuss the difficulties with their supervisor. 

If a research student prefers not to discuss their concerns with the supervisor, the student should approach the Postgraduate Research Tutor. 

If the complaint is not resolved through informal routes, then the University of Wolverhampton has a formal Student Complaints Procedure. Information on the complaint's procedure may be found at: https://www.wlv.ac.uk/about-us/governance/legal-information/policies-and-regulations/ 

If you are not satisfied:  

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may be able to take the matter to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (the OIA) 

The OIA is an independent organisation that considers student complaints. 

Additional Support and Resources

Students and apprentice learners can access support in a variety of different ways, depending on what they feel most comfortable with:     

WLV Student Life Connect     

The University has invested in a newly developed student support platform in collaboration with Care First called WLV Student Life Connect. This is a counselling, information and advice service offering support for issues arising at university, home, or work.    

This is a FREE, CONFIDENTIAL, INDEPENDENT, and IMPARTIAL source of support for you, as an undergraduate, post graduate taught, post graduate research student, or an apprentice learner.    

Here you can access advice, guidance, and support on a wide range of care issues, health issues, benefits and entitlements, relationships, childcare, anxiety, depression and more. The platform also offers legal advice and information from legal specialists.    

Guidance is available on debt management and finances and even support with issues such as unresolved parking tickets. We know that it is often these kinds of issues which pose a risk to a student’s ability to study and succeed.    

The service can be accessed via our own WLV dedicated phone line and webpage with an online chat function 24/7, 365 days a year.    

Telephone: 0333 212 0672    24 hours a day, every day of the year. Free, confidential and independent support, counselling and information services    

Online resources and support: www.carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk     

Username: uowstudent    

Password: student    

Students and apprentice learners are welcome to drop in to one of our ASK desks ASK@WLV - University of Wolverhampton where colleagues will be able to provide some initial assistance and then signpost students or apprentices to the appropriate support.     

Students and apprentice learners may also choose to speak directly with teams within the Student Life Directorate which include our dedicated team of mental health and wellbeing specialists.       

Within study: Support can be provided to ensure the continued academic engagement of any student or apprentice learner involved in an investigation, or similar process, where a student wishes to continue studying.  Academic and/or assessment arrangements may be changed as appropriate during such a process in line with our Extenuating Circumstances policy.