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The University’s Dignity at Work and Study policy sets out definitions of what it considers to be unacceptable behaviour which will impact on the dignity of members of the University with regards to harassment and sexual misconduct.

The Equality Act 2010 defines harassment as: “Unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual”.

Harassment may amount to unlawful discrimination if it relates to any of the protected characteristics. Harassment may involve conduct of a sexual nature (sexual harassment/sexual misconduct), or it may be related to a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

The University’s Dignity at Work and Study policy provides a definition of harassment and sexual misconduct:

“Harassment/sexual misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

a) unwanted physical conduct or ‘horseplay’, including touching, pinching, pushing, grabbing, brushing past someone, invading their personal space and more serious forms of physical or sexual assault;

b) unwelcome sexual advances or suggestive behaviour (which the harasser may perceive as harmless), and suggestions that sexual favours may further a career or that a refusal may hinder it;

c) continued suggestions for social activity after it has been made clear that such suggestions are unwelcome;

d) sending or displaying material that is pornographic or that some people may find offensive (including unwanted e-mails, text messages, video clips and images sent by mobile phone or posted on the internet);

e) offensive or intimidating comments or gestures, or insensitive jokes or pranks;

f) mocking, mimicking or belittling a person’s disability;

g) ignoring or shunning someone, for example, by deliberately excluding them from a conversation or a workplace social activity;

h) intrusion by pestering, spying or stalking.

A person may be harassed even if they were not the intended "target".

Harassment or bullying may consist of sporadic or persistent behaviour, although one single act may be considered sufficiently serious to warrant disciplinary action.” The Office for Students also provides a definition of harassment and sexual misconduct on .

As part of our commitment to supporting students in understanding what constitutes harassment and sexual misconduct, how to access support and routes to report, we provide the following training and guidance:

• a mandatory ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ online module which outlines the legal definition of harassment, sources of support and routes to report;
• a module on ‘Bystander intervention’ designed to deepen understanding of boundaries, safe interventions and how to report and access support;
• being Introduced from September 2025, a module on sexual ‘Consent’ which describes what constitutes consent, how certain situations and contexts can affect consent and routes to report;
• short videos on how to use our reporting tool ‘Report + Support’ and on our Safeguarding responsibilities and sources of guidance and support;
• summary guidance on what constitutes harassment, how and where to access support, routes to report incidents/behaviours, and expectations around student conduct; and
• Student support induction sessions which highlight support services available, principals of consent and fostering a safe, respectful culture in which to work and study to all new students.

We recognise that some topics such as sexual consent can be distressing to some. We have provided information on this subject in various formats, offer confidential support at every step, and monitor student engagement and feedback to help inform how we approach supporting every member of our Cranfield community.

During induction and throughout the academic year we run campaigns including ‘Keeping our community safe’ and ‘Speak up’ to raise awareness of all forms of harassment, our Cranfield values, expectations around student conduct alongside routes to report behaviour/incidents, how to access support, and online training and information.

Our provides a route to inform the University if an individual experiences or witnesses inappropriate behaviours. This tool can be used to inform the University anonymously and/or get support from a trained advisor. In addition, there are a series of support articles and advice on topics such as bullying and harassment, sexual misconduct, assault and hate crime on the platform. Course and central communication teams signpost information and guidance throughout the year across their communication channels.

We have both a Student Charter and a student code of conduct (contained in the Postgraduate students’ and Undergraduate Students’ Senate Handbooks) which set out our expectations of students, including to uphold the University’s Values.

We categorise our staff into groups, each with tailored training requirements. The staff groups and the associated training are as follows:

1. Staff handling complaints and disciplinary matters
   • Training: Disciplinary investigator workshop (by invitation)
   • Additional development: supplementary sessions delivered by external organisations (by invitation)
2. Line managers and student-facing staff
   • Training: E-learning module – Responding to disclosure of unwanted sexual incidents: a guide for University staff
3. All other staff
   • Training: Mandatory e-learning module – Sexual harassment in higher education
   • Accessibility: alternative formats will be made available for those unable to access the e-learning module.

Monitoring and evaluation

• Completion of e-learning modules is tracked and reported through our in-house CUTE system.
• Attendance at facilitator-led and drop-in sessions is recorded via our in-house DATES system.

Quality assurance and continuous improvement

Our training content is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure alignment with current policies, regulations, and legislation. Revisions are informed by participant feedback, session discussions, and insights from our Report + Support data.

The University strongly discourages intimate relationships between staff and students where they may negatively impact on the student’s educational development and pastoral care and may constitute an abuse of power. The University requires staff to notify us of any intimate personal relationship that they enter into with a student as set out in our (relationships that existed prior to 1st August 2025 or prior to the student and/or staff member joining the University are considered excluded relationships by the OfS).

Should a member of staff not notify us of any relevant intimate personal relationship, this may be considered under the staff disciplinary procedures. Where a relationship has been reported we will:

• Keep a secure record of the relationship – these records will be kept securely and retained according to the University’s data retention schedule.
• Consider whether the member of staff is a ‘relevant staff member’, which means a member of staff who has direct academic responsibilities, or other direct professional responsibilities, in relation to that student.
• Where the member of staff is a ‘relevant staff member’ the University’s People and Culture team will work with the member of staff’s line manager to determine appropriate steps to remove power imbalances or conflicts of interest regarding the student’s study. In practice this may involve a change of supervision arrangements and/or the relevant staff member not being involved in the assessment of a student’s work or decisions that affect their overall award.

Alongside this document, which provides an overview and links to all of our relevant documents and policies, the University will contact staff and students annually to remind them of their responsibilities, rights and areas of support available to them. We provide information on this at student and staff inductions, and we also publish details of this in our Senate Handbooks and staff documents.

The University has a dedicated Student Wellbeing and Disability Support service (SWaDS), with trained advisors who will be able to support and advise you. You can also raise concerns with any member of staff, including your Course Director, Supervisor or your SAS Lead. Other staff in the University will provide initial support but will usually refer you to the SWaDS team.

Students can contact the SWaDS service by email studentsupport@cranfield.ac.uk or phone: 01234 754839.

Our online tool, , enables you to make the University aware of any inappropriate behaviours, such as bullying, harassment and discrimination, that you may experience or witness or report any safeguarding concerns. It complements support already in place and the various ways in which you can raise concerns. This can be done anonymously or by providing contact details so you can get support from a trained advisor at the University.

Alongside the reporting function, features information, guidance and support for students.

We have trained advisors who work as part of the Student Wellbeing and Disability Support (SWaDS) team. The advisors provide guidance and support on a range of areas including support for students affected by harassment or sexual misconduct.

The service is confidential, and the advisor will offer guidance and support on the next steps you may wish to take. This may include referring the matter to the police, considering mediation or taking your concerns forwards as a complaint or disciplinary matter. They can provide information on appropriate support services including university counselling, 24/7 mental health support, and external services including Sexual Assault Referral Centres.

Further details can be found on the student portals, (postgraduate students) or (undergraduate students). Further details of University processes can be found in the Senate Handbook on Complaints, Senate Handbook on Student Disciplinary procedures and the Staff Ordinances.

Allegations may be made as part of a student complaint, or made directly leading to a disciplinary investigation. Where a student submits a student complaint about the conduct of another member of the University, the complaint investigator will consider this and determine an outcome and recommendations, which may include recommending a disciplinary investigation of the alleged perpetrator. Alternatively, it may be determined that the allegations should be considered under the disciplinary processes in the first instance (such consideration will usually be based on the seriousness of the allegations and/or the level of evidence provided by the initial complaint).

Our approach to investigating allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct will depend on whether the alleged perpetrator is another student or a member of staff.

Where an allegation is made against a member of staff, this will be investigated by the University’s People and Culture team, who will do so in line with the details set out in the Staff Ordinances (Ordinance 22), which are published on our website. Under the procedures set out in this ordinance, where appropriate, an attempt will be made to resolve the concerns raised informally.

Where an informal resolution is not possible or appropriate, a formal investigation will take place, usually by the member of staff’s line manager with the support of the People and Culture team. During this investigation process the student making an allegation may be interviewed by the investigators. Where the investigator(s) recommend a formal disciplinary outcome may be warranted a Panel will be convened to consider the allegation and any appropriate penalty. The member of staff will have the right to appeal the outcome of any disciplinary investigation, with the appeal considered by different persons to the initial investigation.

Where an allegation is made against another student, this will be investigated under the Student Disciplinary Procedures. These procedures are set out in detail in the Senate Handbook: Student Disciplinary Procedures. The University has a 3-stage process to investigate student disciplinary matters, an informal investigation (Stage 1), a formal investigation (Stage 2) and a right for the investigated student to request a review of the decision (Stage 3). Serious allegations may progress straight to a Stage 2 formal investigation. Investigators will usually consider any evidence provided by the person(s) making an allegation and interview those involved in the case (both those making an allegation, the accused and any witnesses). The investigator will then provide a proposed outcome and recommendations to the Lead Investigator, who will usually be the Head of Faculty of the accused student. The accused student has the right to request a review of any decision made at Stage 3, which will be undertaken by a different investigator.

Following any investigation involving harassment and sexual misconduct, the person making an allegation (staff or student) has the right to be informed that an investigation has been carried out in line with the University’s procedures and will be informed of the outcome of the investigation where any recommendations have direct implications to them.

All data that we receive is handled in line with our Privacy Policy and our Student Privacy Notice, both of which are available on the University’s website.

The Student Wellbeing and Disability Support (SWaDS) team provide guidance and support to students who have been affected by harassment and sexual misconduct (and any other matter they wish to discuss). The SWaDS team confidentiality policy can be found in the Senate Handbook on Student Welfare.

As set out in the University’s Dignity at Work and Study policy, the University will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, bullying or victimisation (unacceptable behaviour) by or against any member of our Cranfield community or a third party such as a supplier or visitor to the University.

In valuing diversity, Cranfield University’s Charter further provides that “Academic Staff have freedom within the law to question and test received wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions, without placing themselves in jeopardy of losing their jobs or privileges”.

Furthermore, advancing ideas and learning through debate is a critical part of what universities do. Freedom of speech is therefore essential to students and the wider Cranfield community. Upholding freedom of speech matters because it exposes students to new and challenging ideas, encourages robust but civil debate which respects and understands different viewpoints, and underpins diversity in the academic community. Cranfield University supports the Office for Students’ adoption of the widest possible definition of freedom of speech: anything within the law.

The University’s starting point is that lawful speech will be permitted. Free speech includes lawful speech that may be offensive and/or hurtful to some.

Unlawful speech is not permitted. Examples of unlawful speech include, but are not limited to: Unlawful discrimination and harassment, Criminal offences (including but not limited to: Hate Crimes, Support of, or inviting or encouraging support of a Proscribed Organisation, Public Order Offences), Defamation.

The University will consider and have particular regard to its obligations related to freedom of speech when considering alleged harassment or sexual misconduct. It should be noted that the exposure of students to course materials, and statements made and views expressed by a person as part of teaching, research or discussions about any subject matter that is connected with the content of a higher education course, are unlikely in itself to constitute ‘harassment’.

Cranfield does not use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in relation to complaints of sexual harassment, abuse, misconduct, or other forms of harassment and bullying.