Support and Report for students
At the University of Exeter we are an inclusive community, where everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying, intimidation and discrimination (for example racism and homophobia,) go against all we stand for and will not be tolerated.
If you've experienced or witnessed any of the above, we encourage you to tell us about it. That way we can make sure you get the support you need and can take action where appropriate.
You may wish to report your experience if:
- The experience has impacted your wellbeing and/or sense of safety
- You would like action to be taken following your experience
- You would like to receive support with your experience
No matter how big or small you perceive what has happened to be, we are here to help. Even if you are not sure, please submit a report and we will help get the right advice and support for you.
How to report and get support
You can report something to us using the link below. You can use this to ask for support, or report something, or both.
There are three ways to report an incident
- With a formal report - we can discuss your case with you, letting you decide how to proceed.
- Informally - by telling us informally what has happened, we can give you information and advice, so you can decide what you'd like to do.
- Anonymously - you cannot be identified. We use anonymous reports to understand the issues impacting our University community, to monitor patterns, and shape our prevention of, and response to, unwanted behaviour.
It’s really important if something’s happened to you that you get support if you need it. You can fill out the form to get support (and you can choose whether or not you also wish to report what's happened.)
Everyone at our University has the right to feel safe. We have specialist staff to support and advise you on options for what happens next and how to access professional support.
We take reports of sexual misconduct, hate incidents, bullying and harassment very seriously and reporting an incident helps us to take the steps needed to help keep our community safe. Even if it is someone you know or a friend who has shown harmful behaviours, it needs reporting to stop further incidents.
If we don’t know about harmful behaviour that’s happening, we can’t take action to prevent it.
Support and Report is the way for our students to tell us about an incident and get support.
It could be an incident you have experienced, witnessed, or you can talk to us on behalf of someone else.
You can tell us anonymously if you prefer.
We are able to take action if both you and the person who harmed you are members of the University community. If the person who harmed you isn’t a member of the University, we can provide you with support and let you know about your options for reporting elsewhere.
If you have experienced anything that has made you feel uncomfortable, or caused you harm, you can report it.
This list is not definitive; and there can be overlap:
- sexual misconduct, such as rape and/or sexual assault
- spiking
- stalking
- coercive control
- domestic abuse
- racism
- bullying
- harassment
- hate incidents
- discrimination
- violence and threats of violence
If you’re not sure that what you’ve experienced is listed, please do still get in touch. If it’s had an impact on you, we’re here to help.
Before taking any case forward, we’d meet with you and talk through what reporting involves. It's a very important decision, and it's your decision - one you feel empowered to make.
We’ll also talk through what support is available for you.
If you decide to report the case for investigation, we will assess the risk presented by your experience and decide if any steps are needed to ensure you, the person responsible, and our wider community are safe.
A dedicated investigating officer will explore what occurred and determine whether there is evidence to support taking disciplinary action under our regulations. This will mean speaking with you, the person responsible, any potential witnesses, and any evidence around what has happened.
Whether or not there is sufficient evidence to proceed with disciplinary action, we will let you know the outcome of your case.
