Teaching About Terrorism: University of Sunderland

Teaching About Terrorism is a 2009/10 research project funded by C-SAP, one of the Higher Education Academy's subject networks. The project aims to research the extent and nature of teaching about terrorism in UK Universities, primarily in the disciplines of Sociology, Politics and Criminology.

Freedom of Information Request 1

• 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?

Please find here a link to the University's IT Regulations. Section 3 of the regulations state that users of the IT facilities should comply with relevant UK law. I also include here a link to the University's Ethics Procedures and Practices. This contains a section relating to criminality policy. I also include a link to the University's E-mail and Internet at work policy.

• 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?

This notice acts as a refusal notice under the provisions of S17(4) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The University of Sunderland neither confirms nor denies that it holds any of the information requested. To give a statement of the reasons why neither confirming nor denying is appropriate in this case would itself involve the disclosure of exempt information. The University of the Sunderland has determined that in this case Section 31(3) Law Enforcement applies and also the public interest in maintaining the exclusion of the duty to neither confirm nor deny outweighs the public interest in confirming whether or not information is held.

• 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 ?

There are a number of staff and student disciplinary procedures which would potentially come into operation under the circumstances you describe, links are set out below:- Any potential action to be taken against the Institution itself would be considered at a meeting of the Board of Governors - The Board of Governors adhere to the University's Articles of Government (see copy attached) Student disciplinary procedures are set out in the following links:-

• Disciplinary Regulations

• Student Handbook

Staff disciplinary procedures are set out in the attached links:-

• Staff Disciplinary Procedures

• Dismissal Procedure

• Guidance notes for Managers

• 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’?

The University is aware of, and has considered, the government guidance document 'Promoting Good Campus Relations'. The University has established a Community Monitoring Advisory Group which is working towards systems which follow the guidance provided in the document.

Resources

• Freedom of Information Results, Teaching About Terrorism: FOI Results
• University of Sunderland, Response to Teaching About Terrorism: Freedom of Information Request 1, Scribd
• University of Sunderland, Articles of Government, Scribd