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• If you are a student who thinks they have experienced or witnessed harassment and/or sexual misconduct (inappropriate and unwanted behaviours of a sexual nature), our student support team is here for you at students@bnu.ac.uk or 01494 603 020.
• If you are on campus and need a safe space, please call Security on 01494 605 070. A list of safe spaces in Buckinghamshire and Uxbridge is available .
• Our SVLO (sexual violence liaison officer) staff are trained to support, guide and empower students. They are a trusted resource who can signpost to external support services as well as guide the student through university processes where applicable.  They are accessible during office hours via the student hub students@bnu.ac.uk.
• Windsor House reception area is a 24/7 safe space for students it includes phone chargers and seating area. The security staff based there can call a taxi if required. However, please note Windsor House is closed from 22 July until 20 September.

There a range of external organisations who are well placed to support you in addition to the help BNU provides. We have compiled a list below:

– If you're not sure whether you want to report to the police yet and the assault was recent, you might choose to go directly to the University’s nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). Here you can have a medical examination carried out and forensic evidence can be stored for a future date should you choose to report an attack. They will also offer you specialist support. It's good to take a friend or trusted person with you if you can. 

wide phone line 0333 335 0026 (Fridays and Saturdays 7pm-3am, and Sunday 7pm-1am). 

supports women and children who have experienced sexual misconduct – you can contact them on 01494 449922 or fill in a form on their website . 

offers specialist practical and emotional support if you or someone you know are experiencing domestic abuse – you can call them on 01895 259 578.

is a national membership organisation supporting specialist rape and sexual abuse services in the voluntary sector – you can call them on 01788 550 554. 

is the feminist charity working to end child sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual violence – you can call them on 0808 500 222. 

supports people regardless of age, gender, race, religion and with a range of physical and mental health needs who have been affected by or at risk of sexual violence. Their services are free, independent, confidential, long-term, and meet best practice quality standards. You can call them on 01926 402 498. 

supports people regardless of age, gender, race, religion and with a range of physical and mental health needs. Their services are free, independent, confidential, long-term, and meet best practice quality standards. 

• If someone discloses an incident of student harassment and/or sexual misconduct to you, please remember that this information is highly confidential. Only pass on information on a ‘need to know’ basis, and always with the person’s permission. Students can be referred to BNU’s SVLO service (Sexual Violence Liaison Officers) via the Student Hub students@bnu.ac.uk.
• If you are worried that they or others are at harm, confidentiality can be breached as part of the University’s Safeguarding Policy. It is important to contact a member of staff such as your tutor or line manager. If you are concerned for an individual’s immediate safety or that of others, you should discuss this with them before any confidential information is disclosed to a third party. If you, or they, are in immediate danger contact the police on 999 or Security on 01494 505 070.
• Information should only be shared on a ‘need to know’ basis, with the consent of the student after explaining who you are telling and why, unless it is an emergency. 

Student Conduct – The purpose of the Student Conduct Procedure is to set out how the University manages and addresses reports of incidents that contravene the Student Prevention of Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy as well as, more generally, other allegations of misconduct.

Student Prevention of Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy – This policy aims to raise awareness of harassment and/or sexual misconduct and enable students to recognise and provide ways to speak about incidents or behaviours that may constitute harassment and/or sexual misconduct. 

A student under the Student Prevention of Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy is a person registered with the University, enrolled on a programme of study, taught by the University and/or studying for a Buckinghamshire New University Award. It includes degree and higher degree apprentices, UK and Transnational Higher Education (TNE) partnership students.

Personal Relationships at Work – This policy sets out guidance and expectations on relationships between staff and students, and relationships between staff.

Non-disclosure agreements – In 2022, BNU became one of the first universities to pledge its commitment to ending the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of sexual misconduct, bullying or other forms of harassment.

Privacy notice for students – The University processes all information including personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and provisions of the UK Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). More information about how BNU collects, processes and stores information can be found in the Privacy notice for Students, which is referenced in both the Student Conduct procedure and Student Prevention of Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy.

Student Social Media Policy – This policy sets out the responsibilities and expectations of how BNU learners use social media.

Student Drug and Alcohol Policy – As part of the University's commitment to providing a safe environment which fosters a supportive community for the wellbeing of students, this policy presents a harm reduction approach to drug and alcohol use among students, focussing on education and prevention.

BNU takes the safety and wellbeing of students and colleagues seriously and works hard to continually develop a culture that embeds safety, equality, diversity and inclusion. Personal relationships can be complex and can involve power differentials.

As set out in the Personal Relations at Work policy, personal relationships are prohibited with staff or students who are under the age of 18, or who are over 18 and are vulnerable or ‘at risk’. Personal relationships are not permitted where there is a direct professional or supervision responsibility, or involvement in that student’s academic studies or welfare.

Experts at BNU have developed comprehensive mandatory training for students which helps to understand what harassment and sexual misconduct are, its impact on individuals and the wider community, the support and options available to alleged victims or third parties, and how to intervene effectively. A new mandatory training module for students, , will help them to: 

• Define key terms related to harassment, sexual misconduct, consent, and personal boundaries within the context of university life.
• Recognise behaviours that constitute harassment, sexual misconduct, and discrimination, including both subtle and overt forms.
• Explain the impact of harassment and sexual misconduct on individuals and the wider campus community.
• Identify relevant university policies, procedures, and support resources for reporting and responding to incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct.
• Demonstrate effective bystander intervention strategies to safely and appropriately prevent or respond to potential incidents.
• Reflect on personal responsibility and ethical conduct in fostering a respectful, inclusive, and safe academic environment.
• Apply principles of consent and effective communication in interpersonal relationships and social interactions. 

Experts at BNU have developed comprehensive mandatory training for staff which helps to understand what harassment and sexual misconduct are, its impact on individuals and the wider community, the support and options available to alleged victims or third parties, and how to intervene effectively. A new mandatory training module, which can be accessed via Learn Upon, will help them to: 

• Understand and define the legislation about harassment and sexual harassment.
• Recognise behaviours that constitute harassment, sexual misconduct, and discrimination, including both subtle and overt forms.
• Explain the impact of harassment and sexual misconduct on individuals and the wider campus community.
• Demonstrate effective bystander intervention strategies to safely and appropriately prevent or respond to potential incidents.
• Reflect on personal responsibility and ethical conduct in fostering a respectful, inclusive, and safe academic environment. 

Staff involved in specialist roles (such as Student Support Advisers, Sexual Violence Liaison Officers and staff carrying out investigations) receive specialist training appropriate and relevant to their roles.

A campaign by Bucks Students’ Union, supported by the University, integrates key elements of student safety, education and wellbeing into a unified and comprehensive approach. It addresses a wide range of issues impacting students, including: sexual education and relationships, sexual misconduct and harassment, mental health and wellbeing, and financial safety. More information can be found . 

We are in regular contact with our Thames Valley Police Neighbourhood Policing Team and also participate in a Thames Valley Higher Education Collaboration Group which discusses issues and solutions faced by universities, including BNU, Oxford Brookes, the University of Oxford, the University of Reading, and the University of Bedfordshire. We have good relationships with other local organisations in our campus towns, including the night time economy. 

Harassment is the unwanted conduct related to a relevant and the conduct has the purpose or effect of violating one or more person’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for another. 

Sexual Misconduct is any unwanted or attempted conduct of a sexual nature and includes but is not limited to sexual harassment; sexual assault; and rape. This definition reflects one referred to by the Office for Students and includes the most serious behaviour; it is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The Student Conduct Procedures (paras 29-35) should be referred to for behaviours and/or actions of students that may constitute sexual misconduct that can be considered under this Policy. 

Disclosure involves a person sharing their experience with someone else without initiating a formal procedure or investigation by the University. A disclosure would lead to support and options being offered to determine how the person wishes to proceed. 

Freedom of speech is the right to express lawful views and opinions, including those that may be controversial or unpopular, within the limits of the law and University policy. This right does not extend to speech that incites hatred, violence, or discrimination.

Consent, in the context of harassment and sexual misconduct, involves two or more individuals willingly and knowingly agreeing to participate in any action – it must be ongoing, mutual, freely, and given. In the context of intimacy, consent is always relevant and intimacy without consent is wrong – the person who did not consent should not be blamed for what happened. 

Consent cannot: 

• be given by individuals who are underage, intoxicated, or incapacitated;
• be coerced – pressured, intimidated, or threatened. 

Consent can be: 

• revoked at any time prior to or during the activity.
• one of several types described in the table below. 

In addition to the University’s mandatory training which is described above in the Empower section, Thames Valley Police has around having consent conversations.