The Student Room Group
Voting for TSRs Ultimate Study Playlist is NOW OPEN >>
Voting for TSRs Ultimate Study Playlist is NOW OPEN >>
Voting for TSRs Ultimate Study Playlist is NOW OPEN >>

First "safe space" notice seen at University.

Scroll to see replies

Moved to a better area. Please check which area you're posting in before you post. Thank you :h:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Dodgypirate
Criminology, but I'm often in seminars with people doing Sociology.


Awww lord, I bet that's tough :work:
It's actually not that bad. Sure there are a lot of essays, but overall I've really enjoyed the course to this point :smile:
Original post by Duncan2012
The FOI would go to the uni who are not exempt.


And the university will say "This was a decision made by the students' union, we do not hold any information on this."
Original post by martin7
And the university will say "This was a decision made by the students' union, we do not hold any information on this."


Copied from foiwiki.com: Students' Unions are not generally subject to FOI. Students' Unions are regulated by the Education Act 1994. The Education Act places certain obligations on the universities and college's governing bodies to regulate students unions. It may therefore be possible to obtain information from the university or college about the activities of a students' union.

Presumably (although OP doesn't say) the notice appeared on property owned by the university.

While I'm not familiar with the Education Act and what is, or isn't, covered under FOI I doubt the uni could get away with saying 'it's nothing to do with us' and would have to provide more information, as I alluded to in my post. Either way, with an FOI request being free and taking a couple of minutes to submit there's really nothing to lose.
Original post by Duncan2012
While I'm not familiar with the Education Act and what is, or isn't, covered under FOI I doubt the uni could get away with saying 'it's nothing to do with us' and would have to provide more information, as I alluded to in my post. Either way, with an FOI request being free and taking a couple of minutes to submit there's really nothing to lose.


As you say, it wouldn't hurt -- but it's very likely that the university won't hold any information on this. Bodies subject to FOIA only have to hand over information they have, they won't go and seek new information they don't already hold.

I think it's unlikely the union will have entered into any kind of discussion with the university before putting up the notices; but if they have, then a FOI request may well flush it out.

OP could, of course, simply ask the students' union for a copy of the agenda/papers/minutes from the meeting that took the decision, and the students' union may well choose to provide them. But he/she shouldn't frame this as an FOI request as that might cause a straight refusal.
The thing about safe spaces is that they're not about being places where you're not allowed to offend anyone. They're about providing somewhere safe and secure for particular groups of people. If you're going to organise safe spaces you need to do them effectively.

It's like having a support group.
For example, sexual assault or rape survivors may find it difficult to navigate every day life sometimes because of the things they hear. A lot of people say quite harmful things, joking or not, without being aware that quite a few people around them are affected by the subject. Safe spaces should be about allowing a specific group to enter a room or area where they know others are similar to them and won't use the language or harsh jokes that others do. They can all agree not to talk about it there.

Safe spaces should not be about punishing people for what they say. It should be about allowing affected groups to have a sanctuary they can feel safe. It's just common sense that if you enter a safe space for sexual assault, don't make a rape joke. If you enter a safe space for depression or self harm, don't discuss depressed people or self harmers cruelly. If you enter a safe space for a specific race, don't rattle off negative statistics about them or make them feel inferior to you.

If you don't feel comfortable behaving this way, don't enter the safe space. The safe space should never be a place that is necessary to go or pass through, like a library or public area.

Safe spaces are not about SJW's sitting in a circle and jumping down your throat for saying something politically incorrect. Or at least - it should not be and was never intended to be.
Original post by Dodgypirate
It's worse in the seminars, I have to go over my opinions several times to make sure I don't offend anyone...


Yeah this is annoying.

I did a module on theory of human rights once and there was a week based around the right to life. The readings were understandably about abortion. Just before the seminar was going to start a girl said she wanted to just make sure that we were all aware abortion is a sensitive subject and that she would prefer we didn't talk about it if we could help it. In a seminar about the right to life?!*
The upstanding feminists and other equal rights campaigners will make the UK great again. There should be safe spaces in every university. I am full supportive of this decision.
Original post by BobBobson
So we shouldn't speak because it might upset people? Is that what you're saying?


Not in the designated area. Why would you want to go round upsetting or harassing people anyway?

The story lacks detail anyway, which makes it hard to judge .

It says for its safe space policy


“UWESU is committed to our core value of inclusivity and will take a zero tolerance approach to language or behaviour that is racist, sexist, homophobic, threatening or violent, that could cause offence to a student with a disability as well as any other student that feels harassed, bullied or discriminated against”.


https://www.thestudentsunion.co.uk/news/article/6707/Safer-Spaces-Policy/
(edited 7 years ago)
It simply says if you are abusive or offensive you'll be booted out? In the absence of any specific examples of people being kicked out for discussing controversial ideas, I'd interrupt it as you can't go around addressing every black person using the N word or you can't start shouting at the staff because you can't get your own way. Which is no big deal.
Reply 31
Avatar for Josb
Josb
6
Original post by Dodgypirate
I'm in my last year at UWE (University of the West of England), and I've come to notice, for the first time, a "safe space" notice.

It says that any behaviour that is offensive or abusive will result in a ban from the SU.

What I consider bizarre is the ambiguity.

Going by "offence is taken, not give", this means almost anything could be an insult so long as it offends someone. It could be an opinion, it could be an overheard joke, it could be anything.

Glad it's my last year but who's to say I won't bump into this later on.


A safe space from what?
Original post by Dodgypirate
Especially in Universities. I thought they were supposed to be bastions of expressiveness.


They are supposed to be but now it seems like only if you have the 'right' opinion.For example I disagree with aspects of multiculturalism but anyone who says that will be called racist.I don't for example think its good to have entire schools full of black pupils like they do in birmingham.If we are going to do multiculturalism then we shouldn't have separate schools for black kids and white kids,
they should be together.But if I point that out I'm likely to be called bigoted or islamophobic or some other such word.
Original post by Josb
A safe space from what?


" behaviour that is offensive or abusive "
Not clear why people are angry about this. Is it that you want the right to be offensive at all times and in all places? That seems a hard argument to win.
My current uni has warning about the hand driers on the toilette doors. :erm:
Original post by ChaoticButterfly
My current uni has warning about the hand driers on the toilette doors. :erm:


Any reasoning behind the warnings?
Original post by Fullofsurprises
Not clear why people are angry about this. Is it that you want the right to be offensive at all times and in all places? That seems a hard argument to win.


Not only this but some of the biggest "safe spaces" are private business. Especially big respectable firms. Unis have much more tolerance for dissenting opinion than say a bank that just wants it's employees to maximise profit.


Original post by Dodgypirate
Any reasoning behind the warnings?


I honestly don't know. It just says these toilette use blow driers. Maybe some people find blow driers triggering :rofl:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Dodgypirate
Criminology, but I'm often in seminars with people doing Sociology.


So what are you saying, the sociology students are more likely to get offended?
What, they want you to walk around and try not to upset people? What a radical notion. Crazy things those SJW's are getting up to these days. Its almost as if we are trying to move away from centuries of violence and exclusion towards minorities, and into a more accepting and inclusive society.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you