By improving reporting and responding mechanisms, and engaging students, staff and community groups, we are making strides to change the culture.
We have launched the Stage 1 Early Resolution online form as well as the online Report.It.To.Stop.It form to aid reporting. These both include the option for anonymous reporting.
To enable students to make informed next steps, we have delivered a range of information and guidance documents, including Pathway, info-sheet on incidents such as sexting and revenge porn, and flow diagrams to walk you through each stage of the reporting process.
University-wide awareness-raising campaigns, which have been co-created with MDX students are helping to be build in Care and Concern and break down barriers to reporting.
We have developed a suite of training resources specifically for MDX staff to be supported in recognising, responding and reporting concerns. This includes a scenario-based e-learning course and a comprehensive safeguarding manual.
Download an overview and example unit
We have established a Community of Practice with Universities UK and the universities of Bath, Durham, Keele, St. Andrews and Liverpool to share approaches to the implementation of Pinsent Masons' guidance on 'managing misconduct which may also constitute a criminal offence'. This will also inform the policies and procedures at Middlesex.
As part of a project called #CombatMisconduct, led by the charity Against Violence and Abuse (AVA), we are working on developing an impact assessment matrix with Universities UK, Office for Students, Advance HE and the universities of Aberdeen, Anglia Ruskin, Cambridge, Leicester, St. George’s, Queen’s Belfast, and Warwick.
This project is in response to the need for sector guidance on measuring and evaluating impact on institutional responses to sexual violence.
Students are able to learn about different aspects of the Changing the Culture agenda as part of their degree with the aim of challenging attitudes, values and behaviours, and inspiring them to drive forward culture change outside the classroom.
Over 400 students, from Foundation Year to Postgraduate level study have participated in a variety of briefs, resulting in some fantastic creative and powerful works in the form of campaign designs, research, short films, scenario-based stories, animations, talking heads and interviews.
The #BuildingBridges and #NoHomeForHate projects (winner of Project of the Year at the One MDX awards, 2018) were also a result of this collaborative student achievement.
The briefs, written in collaboration with internal and external partners, are often delivered through a client-led brief model; a method that is an established practice within the Faculty of Arts of Creative Industries.
Based on the array of student work, we have been able to create a collection of multi-media campaigns and learning resources including social media campaigns, a campaigns calendar, and campaign books.
These both highlight and utilise our student’s work but also enable “for the student, by the student” messaging to be communicated across the University. This approach really highlights the power of positioning the student voice at the centre of the conversation.
Allowing our students to showcase their work to external audiences also means that they're able to develop their employability skills as well as pave the way for future paid work.
We know that we can’t achieve culture change on our own. That’s why we are focused on building an ever-expanding list of sector, specialist and community organisations to work with on a range of projects.
We have delivered a range of projects which benefit local organisations, and faith and community groups with, for example, Barnet Council, Barnet Mencap, Met Police and Violent Crime Prevention Board.
Our approach to driving forward culture change at Middlesex and beyond has seen us collaborate with various universities and sector organisations on sharing best practice and delivering guidance and tools to support the Changing the Culture agenda.
If you are an external organisation and interested in working with the Changing the Culture Initiative, please email Ben Serlin, Senior Programme Manager.
