The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) is the latest university to become a Founder Member of ProtectED. That’s the UK accreditation scheme covering student safety, security and well-being in the higher education sector.
UWTSD becomes the first university in Wales to join ProtectED, and the seventh across the UK. ProtectED Founder Member is a title conferred on the first dozen ‘early adopter’ universities that will steer the scheme. Founder member institutions include University College London (UCL, pictured), Brunel, Teesside, University of Central Lancashire, Coventry University and the University of Salford. The welcoming of UCL into the scheme at a ceremony in late October was featured in the December print edition of Professional Security magazine.
About ProtectED
The idea is that universities have a broad role to play in supporting the safety, security and wellbeing of their students — not only while they’re on campus, but throughout their ‘student experience’. Hence member institutions work towards independent assessment and accreditation against the ProtectED Code of Practice. This requires universities to have in place appropriate policies, procedures and practices that meet best practice recommendations across physical security; student well-being and mental health; international students; harassment of students and sexual assault; and the student ‘night out’. In all, a holistic approach to safeguarding the student experience. ProtectED Membership thereby allows prospective students (and their parents) to identify those universities acting to deliver in ensuring their students’ safety, security and well-being.
Prof Medwin Hughes, DL, University of Wales Trinity Saint David Vice-Chancellor, said: “The safety, security and wellbeing of our students is paramount. We aim to provide a safe and inclusive environment in which our students can thrive — both in their professional and personal lives. I’m delighted that the University has become a Founding Member of ProtectED and has been recognised by this ‘gold standard’ accreditation scheme.”
Prof Caroline Davey, Director of ProtectED CIC, said: “We are proud to welcome the University of Wales Trinity Saint David as our first Welsh ProtectED Founder Member institution. I know that UWTSD strives to be at the cutting edge of change. As we begin recovery from a global pandemic that has raised serious challenges for the entire higher education sector, we welcome continued commitment to ProtectED from forward-thinking universities as demonstrated by this new membership of UWTSD. With their support, ProtectED can help ensure the safety, security and well-being of students at member institutions across the UK.”
University of Wales Trinity Saint David will be formally welcomed into ProtectED at an Evening Reception at the House of Lords early next year hosted by Baroness Ruth Henig, ProtectED patron, academic historian and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords. Baroness Henig said: “The ProtectED Code of Practice offers, for the first time, a comprehensive student safety, security and wellbeing standard for universities to aspire to, and a practical, robust method of assessing and raising standards across the sector.”
About University of Wales Trinity Saint David
UWTSD’s Royal Charter is the oldest of any university in Wales and England, after the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and the university will celebrate the bicentenary of its foundation in 2022. UWTSD has 12,000 learners across its campuses in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea, besides Birmingham and London and learning centre in Cardiff. Visit https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk.
Online event
ProtectED directors Andrew Wootton and Dr Caroline Davey are among speakers at an online conference on ‘Safeguarding Students in Higher Education’ on January 27. Visit https://www.governmentevents.co.uk/event/the-safeguarding-students-in-higher-education-conference-2022/.
Visit https://www.protect-ed.org/.
