Dear colleagues,
As a socially progressive University, safety, health and wellbeing all lie at the heart of everything we do, and it is vital that people can study, work and visit a welcoming, safe and thriving community.
At Strathclyde, we want to ensure that everyone feels safe, supported and secure. Our Leadership Group met earlier this week, where colleagues listened to presentations about Strathclyde Safe 360°, the University’s holistic approach to safeguarding across the University community. We have been developing the Safe 360° Framework for four years now and have made significant progress.
Strathclyde Safe 360° was first established to emphasise and make sure that sexual misconduct and other inappropriate behaviours have no place at Strathclyde. Its aim is to create an environment where people feel safe to speak out and to report any wrongdoing.
As part of the pledge in our People Strategy – to ensure a safe and secure environment – we created the University Community Commitment. This defines how as Strathclyders we should interact and respect each other and underpins the principles of Safe 360°. It also ensures that everyone understands that we will not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, victimisation or bullying and that we will encourage a culture where people are empowered and supported to raise concerns.
Louise McKean, our University Compliance Officer, led the discussions with support from colleagues in HR and Student Experience. They updated members of Leadership Group on the policies and tools which are available to us all to assist in ensuring we maintain a safe and supportive culture.
To make sure that the whole Strathclyde community is familiar with Strathclyde Safe 360°, we will be running an awareness campaign across all our communication channels including our website, Inside Strathclyde, social media and campus screens. We will also be working with colleagues in StrathUnion to further spread the message with our student community.
All of us have a responsibility to ensure the University is a safe and secure environment for everyone. Please have a look at our Strathclyde Safe 360° webpages to familiarise yourselves with its initiatives, policies and training courses.
And please always remember, if you have any concerns or encounter problematic behaviours, please do not hesitate to use our Report & Support platform.
Last week, I joined colleagues at an event in our Strathclyde Sport facility to meet members of the University’s Performance Sports Scholars’ programme to recognise their achievements and thank members of the Strathclyde alumni community who generously fund the programme with their donations. In particular, I was delighted to meet Val Sherrington and Dr Jack Dunlop who both fund individual scholarships.
This year, we have an incredible 66 Performance Sports Scholars representing more than 20 sports while studying at the University. We heard from some of the talented young Sports Scholars and the significant difference the Performance Sports Programme makes to their ability to succeed in both their studies and sports.
Following on from their success in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, this year looks like another exciting period for our Sports Scholars with some in training for potential selection for World and European Championships. The achievements of our Performance Sports Scholars continue to contribute to Strathclyde’s thriving international profile and reputation. Thanks to Neil Brown and his team for organising such a terrific event and for all their hard work and commitment in ensuring that Strathclyde Sport is a real Strathclyde success story.
Finally, this Sunday sees the dawn of the Chinese New Year, an event celebrated across the world and especially in Asia. I’d like to wish all our staff and students a Happy Chinese New Year – the year of the Rabbit – and that 2023 is filled with peace, happiness and prosperity.
I hope you have an enjoyable and restful weekend.
Best wishes,
Jim