Policies, Frameworks & Strategies for Staff & Students
Discrimination, Harassment & Bullying
It is the responsibility of all members of staff to behave courteously and respectfully towards each other and to ensure that their behaviour does not cause unnecessary offence or upset. If you consider you have been the victim of bullying or harassment or wish to report an incident of bullying or harassment, you should use the Staffing Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying in the Workplace found here.
Flexible Working
The term 'flexible working' describes any working arrangement where the number of hours worked or the times that work is undertaken vary from standard practice. The University of Aberdeen is committed to engaging in constructive dialogue with members of staff wishing to explore the possibility of flexible working practices to:
- Help them achieve a better balance between home and work responsibilities
- Help them stay at work when circumstances might have prevented them doing so
Further details on flexible working can be found here.
Inclusivity & Accessibility in Education Framework
The Inclusivity and Accessibility in Education Framework draws together guidance, policies, resources, support and specialist training provided to staff and students, notably by the Disability Team, Assistive Technology, Training and Documentation and the Centre for Academic Development. Further details about the framework can be found here.
Leave
The University of Aberdeen is committed to supporting members of staff to help them balance the various demands of both their career and family lives. Additional assistance may be necessary to effectively manage your work/life balance at various stages in your life, and the University’s suite of Family Friendly Policies is designed to address such requirements. Details on Maternity, Paternity/Co-Maternity, Shared Parental, Adoption and other types of leave can be found here.
Protection of Vulnerable Groups
The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme ensures that those who either have regular contact with vulnerable groups through the workplace, or who are otherwise in regulated work, do not have a history of inappropriate behaviour. It excludes people who are known to be unsuitable, on the basis of past behaviour, from working with children and/or protected adults and detects those who become unsuitable while in the workplace. Further details including the (PVG) policy can be found here.
Recruitment & Selection of Staff
The University's policy on the recruitment and selection of staff can be found here.
Redeployment
The University is committed to seeking to avoid staff redundancies. The procedure that will be followed to underpin the principles and processes for carrying collective and individual consultation regarding the avoidance of redundancy is outlined in the consultation on avoidance of redundancy policy, along with support mechanisms can be found here.
Religion & Belief Policy
This policy was updated to incorporate information about faith facilities and to include a preference for a 7-day notice period in relation to students requesting adjustments to teaching and learning due to religious observance. Further details can be found here.
Staff Development
Staff development is here to support staff in their professional development at the University and plays a key role in the Human Resources Strategy. This includes a variety of programmes and workshops as well as our Coaching and Mentoring Schemes. Further details can be found here.
Student Communication Policy
The University of Aberdeen is committed to ensuring that all students benefit from an excellent student experience and feel part of a supportive community during their studies and beyond. As the number of communication tools continue to increase, so do the challenges to effectively monitor and manage how we communicate with students effectively.
This policy has been developed in consultation with both staff and students and provides a clear articulation of the institution’s expectations around student communication. It sets out clear guidance for internal stakeholders, to help ensure that the right messages are being communicated at the right time and through the right channels for students. In addition, this policy outlines the channels available to communicate with students and how Communication Champions, who have been identified in each School, will assist in enforcing this policy. Further details can be found here.