UK Edition
Universities which fail to deal with harassment and sexual misconduct could be fined up to £500,000
Universities which fail to deal with harassment and sexual misconduct could be fined up to £500,000, as the regulator advises them to provide consent classes and training for witnesses.
Institutions which are "letting down" students with "ineffective and inadequate" mechanisms for dealing with incidents face crippling financial penalties and even their public funding being cut off, the Office for Students (OfS) has warned.
The watchdog has put forward a set of proposals which lay out how reports should be handled.
It also recommends that institutions provide consent workshops to give guidance on what behaviour is unacceptable, and bystander training to equip people with the skills to intervene if they witness such behaviour.
Universities and colleges which fail to comply with the proposed standards, which are currently being debated, could be fined up to £500,000 or two per cent of their income - whichever figure is higher.
In particularly serious cases of lack of compliance with the proposals, their registration with the OfS could be revoked, meaning they would no longer be able to access public funds, such as tuition fee loans for their students.
The OfS's chief executive, Nicola Dandridge, said: "We continue to hear accounts of students experiencing harassment, sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct.
"Too often students say they are not getting the support they need if they suffer this unacceptable behaviour, and that reporting systems are not clear or effective.
"Many institutions are taking concrete steps to address the issue and we have funded 119 projects across the country to develop initiatives and share them across the sector. But we need to do more for the students who are still being let down by ineffective procedures and inadequate support.
"Our proposed statement of expectations sets out the basis of fair, clear and robust processes that we expect all higher education providers to have in place to respond effectively to harassment and sexual misconduct. Where we see evidence of serious failings, we have the regulatory powers to intervene."
The OfS says there are "widespread reports of harassment and sexual misconduct which are not being adequately addressed by providers".
It adds that "there is evidence of a lack of consistent and effective systems, policies and procedures in place to respond to reports of such incidents."
In its proposals, harassment is defined as unwanted behaviour or conduct which makes a person feel "offended, intimidated or humiliated" because of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
The watchdog will determine how universities and colleges are responding to the proposals by monitoring information from students, universities and colleges, and other bodies.
The consultation comes after persistent reports of harassment and sexual misconduct on campuses.
Reported incidents of rape, sexual assault and harassment at UK universities have trebled in three years, from 476 allegations in 2016 to 1,436 in 2019, a BBC investigation previously revealed.
Meanwhile, a report in October by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that racial harassment is taking place at an "alarmingly high rate" across British universities, with around 24 per cent of ethnic minority students saying they have experienced it.
Universities UK added: "Universities are committed to ensuring students and staff have a safe university experience, free from harassment and hate crime, which allows them to thrive in their learning and work.
"Universities welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the progress they are making on this important issue."