Religion or belief

We welcome students, staff and visitors of all religious and philosophical beliefs as well as those who have none.

Our inclusive ethos values diversity of beliefs and our aim is to create the space and opportunities for different beliefs to be explored and celebrated.

Discriminatory treatment or behaviours based on religion or other beliefs are not acceptable and are dealt with appropriately.

Studying and working at the University

Are there on-campus faith facilities?

Yes, The Key is a multi-faith centre on the College Lane campus. The University Chaplaincy includes chaplains from different faiths, and offers guidance and support to everyone. The chaplaincy is leading on inter-faith activities to promote understanding and foster good relations. The Students' Union has a number of faith-based societies which welcome students and staff.

What is the religious profile of current students or staff?

We do not currently monitor by religion or belief. We are considering how and when to introduce such monitoring. Meanwhile, we are using the findings of the Equality Challenge Unit's research project 'Religion and Belief in higher education: researching the experiences of staff and students' and the programme to promote Religious Literacy Leadership in Higher Education.

How does the University accommodate religious observances of students and staff?

Teaching, assessment and services: Our aim is to encourage teaching, assessment and services that are inclusive of all students. Students should inform staff of any anticipated clashes between religious observances and academic requirements so that these can be discussed and resolved. The Exams Office publishes dates by which it must be informed of any observances during exam periods and will try to re-schedule exams if there are clashes.

Employment: Staff should discuss with their line manager any requests for changes in the workplace in order to meet their religious observances.

Catering: Our catering and hospitality services serve a wide of foods to meet dietary requirements, including those based on religious beliefs. Residential accommodation considers appropriately the needs and requests of students when allocating accommodation.

Events: We are in the process of producing an electronic calendar of religious and cultural events to keep students and staff informed of important dates throughout the year. This calendar will be accessible through studynet and StaffNet, our student and staff intranets.

Further information

We keep our arrangements under review and include consideration of religion and belief in assessing the impact on equality of our policies, facilities and services.