Dr Mark Hollingsworth

Freedom of Information Officer

Freedom of Information and Records Management
Admin 2, Loughborough University
Leics., LE11 3TU
Tel: +44 (0) 1509 222241 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +44 (0)
1509 222241 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Web: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/
3 June 2010
Mr Ian Benson
10 County House Mews
Monkgate
York
YO31 7NR
Dear Mr Benson,
In response to your Freedom of Information request (26 April 2010) please find
below information relating to the use of Terrorism Legislation at Loughborough
University.

Q1 Does your institution provide any information or advice to students or staff

on any potential liability under Terrorism legislation which might result from
accessing materials for teaching or research ? If so please provide copies of
any documents held which detail or refer to such information or advice.
Staff are advised through their appointment documentation, the new starters
WebPages (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/staff/new/index.html) and the University
Induction. Details are also on the HR WebPages and accessible to all staff.
Confide is available to all staff and students to support them if they feel that
they have been bullied or harassed. Again details are provided as above plus
posters and contact cards.
Information is provided to students from the centre of the University via the
Student Handbook (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/student/handbook/). There is a
section in this on Equality and Diversity which includes links to information on
harassment policies and support. Information is also provided on LSU which links
to the LSU code of practice which makes reference to Freedom of Speech. In
principle therefore we have these areas covered.
However, whilst doubtless some of this material could be enhanced to some
extent, the biggest issue is probably whether students actually read the info in
the Student Handbook and how we get key information over to them in the right
way at the right time. This is being reviewed as part of efforts to improve
induction and the redevelopment of the Student Handbook concept as part of the
migration of the Registry website to the Content Management System.
Q2 Does your institution have any kind of procedure to review or assess reading
lists, module descriptors or other teaching materials which explicitly or in
practice considers questions of safety and risk under terrorism legislation as
part of its remit ? For example does the institution have anything similar or
analogous to the 'module review process' established at Nottingham University
described here :
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=407122;
http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/03/nottingham-censorship-a-defence;
http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/06/is-vetting-at-nottingham-in-defence-
of-academic-freedom
If so please supply full details of this policy and procedure and advise when
and how it was decided upon and implemented.
Loughborough University does not centrally approve reading lists and thus does
not review or assess them.

Q3 Does your institution have any system, policy or procedure in place for
dealing with any potential actions taken by the authorities against the
institution, its students or staff under Terrorism legislation ? If so please
supply a copy of the policy and advise the date it was decided upon and
implemented.
Loughborough University does not have any formal system, policy or procedure in
place for dealing with any potential actions taken by the authorities against
the institution, its students or staff under Terrorism legislation.
Q4 Does your institution have any system, policy or procedure in place for
‘preventing violent extremism’ as recommended for example in the government
guidance document ‘Promoting Good Campus Relations’
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.dius.gov.uk/publicati
ons/extremismhe.pdf
Loughborough University does not have any formal system, policy or procedure in
place for ‘preventing violent extremism’ but has clearly reviewed the government
guidance document ‘Promoting Good Campus Relations’ and assessed its position
against this.

Please indicate what procedures or policy exist and advise when it was decided
upon and implemented, and provide copies of any documents held which detail or
refer to such policy or procedures.

I hope this information is useful, if you require any further assistance please
do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Hollingsworth

If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with the way in which your
request for information has been handled, you may invoke the following
complaints procedure:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/policy/foi/complaints/procedure.htm
From: ian.benson22@btinternet.com [mailto:ian.benson22@btinternet.com]
Sent: 26 April 2010 12:04
To: ian.benson22@btinternet.com
Subject: FOI Request - Terrorism Legislation
FOI Request – Terrorism Legislation
I would like to request the following information under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act. I would ask you to send your response by e-mail.
Q1 Does your institution provide any information or advice to students or staff
on any potential liability under Terrorism legislation which might result from
accessing materials for teaching or research ? If so please provide copies of
any documents held which detail or refer to such information or advice.
Q2 Does your institution have any kind of procedure to review or assess reading

lists, module descriptors or other teaching materials which explicitly or in

practice considers questions of safety and risk under terrorism legislation as
part of its remit ? For example does the institution have anything similar or
analogous to the module review process established at Nottingham University
described here :
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=407122;
http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/03/nottingham-censorship-a-defence;
http://www.teachingterrorism.net/2009/08/06/is-vetting-at-nottingham-in-defence-
of-academic-freedom
If so please supply full details of this policy and procedure and advise when
and how it was decided upon and implemented.
Q3 Does your institution have any system, policy or procedure in place for
dealing with any potential actions taken by the authorities against the
institution, its students or staff under Terrorism legislation ? If so please
supply a copy of the policy and advise the date it was decided upon and
implemented.
Q4 Does your institution have any system, policy or procedure in place for
‘preventing violent extremism’ as recommended for example in the government
guidance document ‘Promoting Good Campus Relations’
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.dius.gov.uk/publicati
ons/extremismhe.pdf
Please indicate what procedures or policy exist and advise when it was decided
upon and implemented, and provide copies of any documents held which detail or
refer to such policy or procedures.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Ian Benson
10 County House Mews, Monkgate, York YO31 7NR 01904 673880
begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01904 673880
end_of_the_skype_highlighting