Hertford College MCR is committed to providing a safe environment in which all members can participate freely and contribute fully without fear for their personal security. A safe environment free of harassment or threat is fundamental to the academic and social life of our community. Sexual harassment and sexual misconduct will not be tolerated. The College will support and assist the victim of any harassment or sexual misconduct.
- To this end the MCR will:Promote a culture of zero tolerance of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. All members of the community must treat each other with respect and there must be a clear understanding of the types of behaviour which are inappropriate and unacceptable. The ‘Code of Conduct for MCR members – harassment and sexual misconduct’, sexual consent workshops, and other MCR initiatives all contribute to this zero-tolerance culture.
- Treat harassment seriously and respond to it effectively. The MCR Procedure for Cases of Harassment or Sexual Misconduct allows for complaints concerning harassment and the behaviour of members of the College to be addressed in a robust and fair manner and the College will ensure that anyone raising a concern is not victimised or disadvantaged as a result.
Please speak to one of the Responsible Hosts present on every event, if you ever feel unsafe or are being harassed! Responsible Hosts are usually members of the MCR committee and you will find their names on the (facebook or email) invitations for an event.
- Support victims in their welfare needs. Everyone is likely to react differently to harassment or sexual misconduct. Whether or not a report is made to the Police, the College will endeavour to ensure that a victim has access to welfare provision and support which is appropriate to their needs. Support may be required in the short-term or for a longer period. Steps may need to be taken relating to accommodation or academic arrangements, for example, so that someone feels safe and can continue to study and participate in the College community.
There are a number of different people you may choose to contact for support and advice. There is no single or correct route by which to seek support.
Here are a some main points of contact, if alleged harassment occurs in college:
The Dean: Dr Oliver Noble Wood
Harassment Advisors: Mia Smith and Aruna Nair
Junior Deans (Main Site): Heather Kayton, Blake Trimble
Junior Dean (North Oxford): Natasha Holcroft-Emmess
Junior Deans (South Oxford): Arjuna James
The College Counsellor: Jane Enticott
The College Nurse: Jo Stenning
- Support victims in reporting harassment or sexual misconduct. The College will ensure that appropriate information and assistance is available to support a victim in deciding what steps to take following any incident. For details, view the College Policy and Procedure on Harassment.
- Respect confidentiality. Whenever possible the MCR and College will respect the confidentiality of someone reporting harassment or sexual misconduct. However, the College has a wider duty of care and if it considers that anyone may be at risk of further harm it may need to report a crime to the Police.
Incidents of harassment that occur outside of the college environment and within the University environment will normally be dealt with under the appropriate University procedure. These procedures can be found here.
Further guidance on dealing with cases of sexual assault or sexual violence is available from the University here.