1. Overview
1.1 The University of Westminster is committed to maintaining a culture of open debate in keeping with the principles and legal basis set out in the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech.
1.2 The Student Event Booking Process is intended as a simple, accessible and equitable process for all students and student societies planning to hold an event and invite external speakers.
1.3 Any student or student society wishing to hold an event at any of the University of Westminster facilities, is required to complete the following process.
2. Speaker Assessment Criteria
2.1 All event booking requests submitted by students or student societies which include external speakers, are subject to the Speaker Assessment process.
2.2 Speakers are assessed against paragraph 4.3 and 5 of the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech, which inform the Speaker Assessment Criteria document found in Appendix A (see below).
2.3 Speakers may be assessed as Low, Mid or High risk.
2.4 An assessment of ‘High-Risk’ does not automatically mean a speaker will not be approved.
3. Booking Process
3.1 Societies can submit event booking requests using the University of Westminster Students’ Union (UWSU) online booking system.
3.2 To book an online event using the University of Westminster Students’ Union (UWSU) platform please use this online events booking form.
3.3 All requests must submitted 14 days before the planned event and the form must be completed in full to enable a booking to proceed.
3.4 Provided all details have been provided and a suitably sized room is available on the requested date, submission of a booking request places a provisional hold on a room.
3.5 Events which do not feature external speakers and are planned in keeping with the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech and Student Event Code of Conduct, are ordinarily approved without further checks.
3.6 On receipt of a booking request for an event featuring an external speaker, the Student Opportunities Manager makes an assessment of risk using the External Speaker Assessment criteria (APPENDIX A – see below).
3.7 The initial assessment process is completed in 5 days of receipt of a fully completed event booking request.
4. External Speaker Approval Process
Low-Mid Risk Events
4.1 Events featuring speakers assessed as low-mid risk (levels 1-2 on the speaker assessment criteria) can be approved by the Student Opportunities Manager.
4.2 Approval notifications are emailed to the requestor and the room booking is confirmed.
Mid-High Risk Events
4.3 Events featuring speakers assessed as Mid-High level risk (levels 2-3 on the speaker assessment criteria) are referred to the Speaker Approval Committee for further review. The committee does not meet according to a schedule; it meets on an ad-hoc basis in response to referred events.
4.4 The Student Opportunities Manager may at this time take the opportunity to directly contact the proposed speaker to ascertain further details which can be provided to the Speaker Approval Committee.
4.5 The Speaker Approval Committee is formed of all current sabbatical officers except for the SU President who is a member of the External Events Group (see 6.1), and a relevant senior member of the Estates and Facilities department.
4.6 The Speaker Approval Committee, using the Speaker Assessment Criteria and principles of the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech, will make a further assessment of the proposed speaker and event.
4.7 Where a speaker is subsequently assessed to be low to mid risk, the Speaker Approval Committee notifies the Student Opportunities Manager of their decision and this is communicated in accordance with paragraph 4.2.
4.8 Should the Approval Committee make an assessment of Mid to High risk a decision can be made to approve the event speaker with appropriate mitigations in place (e.g. increased security). Alternatively the Approval Committee may choose not to approve a speaker, providing the appropriate student/student society with a full explanation of the decision.
4.9 Decisions not to approve a speaker should be communicated to the requesting student/student society within 3 days.
5. Appealing a Rejection
5.1 Requesting students/student societies have the right to submit an appeal against the decision not to approve a speaker/event.
5.2 Appeals can be submitted on the following grounds:
- the decision was not made in accordance with the published process
- the decision was not made in accordance with the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech
- relevant additional information in support of the speaker and event, not available at the time of making the decision, can now be submitted
5.3 When submitting an appeal the student/student society has the option to represent their appeal in person.
5.4 All appeals must be submitted to the External Speakers Group using Appendix B (see below) within 5 days of receiving the Approval Committee’s decision to reject.
5.5 Accepted appeals will be heard by the External Speakers Group within 5 working days of receipt.
6. Appealing an Approval
6.1 In addition to the right of requesting students/student societies to appeal a rejection decision, all students, staff and relevant stakeholders have the ability to appeal against an approval.
6.2 Appeals against a decision to approve an event must be submitted to the External Speakers Group using Appendix B (see below) within 5 days of publication of the event approval (see 9.1).
6.3 Appeals may only be submitted on the following grounds:
- the decision was not made in accordance with the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech
- relevant additional information regarding a speaker or event, not available at the time of making the decision, can now be submitted.
6.4 Accepted appeals will be heard by the External Speakers Group within 10 working days of receipt.
7. External Speakers Group
7.1 The External Speakers Group is the University’s formal appeals group, and is formed of:
- University Chief Operating Officer/Nominee (co-chair)
- University of Westminster Students’ Union President (co-chair)
- Director of Estates, Planning and Services/Nominee
- Director of Communications/Nominee
7.2 In addition to the core membership, the UWSU Head of Student Voice & Engagement along with relevant Deans, may be invited to assist in making decisions.
7.3 The remit of the External Speakers Group is limited to the appeals process.
8. Representations to the Vice-Chancellor
8.1 Upon completion of the appeals process, students/student societies who take issue with the decision of the External Speakers Group are able to submit final representations to the Vice-Chancellor as set out in paragraph 4.9 of the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech.
9. Publication
9.1 All assessments approved by the Student Opportunities Manager are published online at the time of notifying the relevant student/student society, giving all stakeholders ample time to submit appeals.
9.2 All rejection decisions are published quarterly, providing details of the reasons for the rejection whilst maintaining the personal privacy of all parties.
Appendix A: Speaker Assessment Criteria
The following is intended as an aid to paragraph 4.3 and 5 of the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech. Used in conjunction, the assessor is requested to assign a ranking of Low, Mid or High risk. Assessors may struggle to agree on a single category in which case a ranking of Low-Mid or Mid-High may be assigned.
A. Values and Views
1. Low
- has a comprehensive understanding and ability to promote both UK and University of Westminster values
- encourages critical thinking, development of new ideas
- accepts the principles of the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech.
2. Mid
- has limited understanding of UK and University of Westminster values whilst expressing views and ideas which question those values
- expresses views which may undermine the ability of others to engage
- takes issue with being subject to the principles of the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech
3. High
- explicitly criticises UK and University of Westminster values and expresses views or beliefs which are in direct opposition
- part of an organised campaign or known activism linked to current affairs which seeks to recruit to an ideology or grand strategy in opposition to UK and University of Westminster values
- refuses to engage with the principles of the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech
Appendix B: Appealing a Decision
Please submit the following information via email to: [email protected]:
- your name
- your student number
- the relevant Students' Union society
- whether you are appealing a decision to reject or a decision to approve a speaker or event
- the event reference number
- the grounds for appeal