Welcome Helper's code of conduct

The Welcome Week period commences on the day of your Hall arrival until the last day of Hall-based Welcome Week activities. Within that period these individuals are held accountable as follows.

During the Welcome Week period you are expected to:

• Make sure new students feel safe and welcome.
• Work closely with the hall committee and the Warden Team (Warden and Subwardens) to help in delivering safe, fun, and inclusive events throughout Welcome Week.
• Make new students aware of the full range of opportunities available to them, including inclusive and daytime events which don’t involve alcohol.
• Be visible and accessible.
• Be knowledgeable – even if you don’t know the answer to a question, you should signpost students to a person or service who can help.
• Provide clear and consistent communication regarding Welcome Week and related activities (i.e. Hall induction).
• Always make a good impression – you are representing LU/LSU and are accountable to LU so act appropriately to promote LU in a positive light.
• Positively describe your hall and other halls without making assumptions about what activities the student may enjoy (e.g. some new students may not like the idea of being in a ‘party hall’).
• Attend all meetings and if you are unable to attend, make sure your Hall Chair is aware in advance.
• Prioritise your own well-being and be kind to yourself. Try and eat healthy, have regular exercise, and get plenty of rest/sleep.
• Behave in an inclusive way with an awareness of our diverse student population.
• Challenge and report any unwanted/inappropriate behaviour towards yourself, or others (this can include racism, homophobia or sexual harassment or inappropriate peer group pressure).
• Report any incidents to your Hall Chair/Warden of your hall and/or via the Online Reporting Portal.
• Ensure that incidents are acted on in a timely manner – this includes escalating issues to your Hall Chair, Warden, or another member of staff.
• Have fun safely!

Welcome Week Hall Helpers/Hall Committee members have no further responsibilities upon the conclusion of the early evening activities. If a student wishes to enter a late-night venue, they choose to do so as a paying attendee and have no further obligations as a Welcome Week Hall Helper.

We acknowledge that many of our students do wish to support our new students in those first few days. Therefore, if Welcome Week Hall Helpers wish to act as good members of the Loughborough community (i.e., if they can offer reasonable and appropriate support to students to return to their Halls of Residence) then there is nothing preventing them from doing so.

There is no expectation for a Welcome Week Hall Helper to help an intoxicated student get home. If they witness a student who is need of support, they should seek either appropriate support at the venue or if they spot a student in need in Loughborough town, they should contact appropriate emergency services. If you are supporting a student in returning to halls, we would recommend operating a mixed gendered pair.

We would ask Welcome Week Hall Helpers/Hall Committees to be mindful of their behaviour should they choose to attend any late-night events during Welcome Week. Welcome Week Hall Helpers and our Hall Committees often set the standard of behaviour for the rest of the hall and would therefore ask students to be mindful of their behaviour.

We would also ask Welcome Week Hall Helpers/Hall Committee to be mindful of their behaviour around sexual activity within Welcome Week. There is often an implicit power dynamic between Welcome Week Hall Helpers/Hall Committees and Welcome Week that blur the boundaries of consent particularly where there is alcohol involved. We ask individuals in these positions of responsibility to be mindful of the position that they are in and make sensible choices during the Welcome Week period.

Loughborough University and LSU have a zero-tolerance policy to harassment of any kind. This includes inappropriate sexual contact. If behaviour is found not to be commensurate with the values of either Loughborough University or LSU disciplinary action may be undertaken in line with Regulation XIX and/or student conduct section 17.

Welcome Week Hall Helpers are accountable to their Warden and Hall Chair/Vice Chair and should go to them with any problems they encounter during Welcome Week. Issues concerning the behaviour of the Hall Chair, or a member of the Hall Committee should be brought to the attention of the Warden.

Welcome Week Hall Helpers could be removed with immediate effect where there is:

1. Any breach of student conduct as per ordinance section 17
2. Any behaviour deemed to be not to be commensurate with their role as a Welcome Week Hall Helper.
3. Violation of LU’s Code of Conduct as committed to during your mandatory training.

If there are any disputes, the decision of the Warden is final. Once removed from role, the student must hand in their Welcome Week team top and must not attend any further Welcome Week events.

Incidents worthy of removal include but are not limited to:

• Intoxication on duty and/or drug use at any time
• Not carrying out your role (i.e., not helping during the Hall moving in weekend)
• Misuse of your position of responsibility – this can include coercing students/Welcome Week into activities they do not wish to partake in.
• Being disrespectful
• Using and displaying derogatory words and/or behaviour
• Physical and/or verbal intimidation of any individuals (students or otherwise)
• Any intentional damage to LU, LSU, or private property
• Not following the schedule allocated by your hall.
• Failing to communicate with the relevant Committee members where appropriate.
• Turning a blind eye to inappropriate behaviour (e.g. Hall Chairs ignoring a member of their teams’ wrongdoing)
• Any action that could damage the reputation of LU/LSU.

Any removal or allegations of misconduct could be considered as a breach of student conduct section 17 and/or the LSU Student Code of Behaviour. It may also be considered a breach under the University’s Regulations 19. This could then result in separate sanction by LU/LSU.