Policies and regulations
Find out about Kingston University's policies and regulations.
About our policies and regulations
Kingston University provides a transparent and comprehensive framework for students and staff through its policies and regulations. Covering academic, health and wellbeing aspects, these guidelines ensure a supportive and fair environment for everyone. The policies also reflect a commitment to sustainability, ethics and integrity, promoting a culture of excellence and accountability.
Students can access updated policies, including changes for 2024/25, to ensure alignment with academic standards and institutional values. Key updates are rigorously reviewed by the Academic Council, featuring elected academic staff and student representation.
For tailored advice, students can contact Kingston Students' Union at support@kingston.ac.uk or their personal tutor.
Please note that these are our standard regulations and policies and so students should also refer to their programme documentation where any non-standard regulations will be explained.
If any employee or worker of the University wishes to report any concerns or issues with the implementation of any of the University's policies or regulations they should refer to the University's Whistleblowing Policy.
Accessible documents: Please contact the Information Centre (in each campus library) or Kingston Students' Union Advice Centre if you find any aspect of these regulations difficult to understand or if you need an accessible version.
Academic policies
- Awards of the University 2024/25 (PDF)
- Undergraduate regulations 2024/25 (PDF)
- Postgraduate regulations 2024/25 (PDF)
- Research regulations 2024/25 (PDF)
- Mitigating circumstances and extensions regulations
- Degree Apprenticeship Regulations 2024/25 (PDF)
- Honorary awards 2024/25 (PDF)
- Conduct of examinations regulations 2024/25 (PDF)
- Professional doctorate regulations – Doctor of Education (EdD) 2024/25 (PDF)
- Student mobility 2024/25 (PDF)
- Exceptional arrangements (force majeure) 2024/25 (PDF)
- Admissions Policy 2024/25 (PDF)
- Student Pregnancy, Maternity and Becoming a Parent during Study Policy 2024/25 (PDF)
- Academic Quality and Standards Policy 2024/25 (PDF)
- Audio recording of lectures by students 2024/25 (PDF)
- Academic Flexibility – Sporting Activities 2024/25 (PDF)
- Academic Flexibility – Arts and Culture 2024/25(PDF)
- Timetabled Student Activity Cancellation Policy 2024/25 (PDF)
- Examinations Scheduling Policy 2024/25 (PDF)
- Religion and Belief 2024/25 (PDF)
- Timetabling and Scheduling 2024/25 (PDF)
- Student Transfer Policy 2024/25 (PDF)
- Fairness in Assessment 2024/25 (PDF)
- University Attendance Policy 2024/25 (PDF)
- Accessible Copies of Resources Procedure (PDF)
- Gender Identity and Expression Policy (PDF)
- Missing Student Procedure (Word)
- Report + Support – Kingston University
- Safeguarding Policy (PDF)
- Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedure (PDF)
- Student Death and Serious Incident Procedure (Word)
- Student visas: a guide for all students (Word)
- Suicide Prevention Strategy (Word)
- UKVI Sponsored Student Attendance & Engagement Monitoring Policy (PDF)
- Wellness to study – compulsory study break and withdrawal procedure (PDF)
- Commitment to the Bologna Process (PDF)
- Freedom of speech and external speakers (PDF)
- Intellectual Property Rights: Staff (PDF)
- Intellectual Property Rights: Students (PDF)
- Police protocol (PDF)
- Kingston University Publications Policy (PDF)
- Research data management policy (PDF)
- Research metrics principles (PDF)
Academic integrity
The University is a community bound by, among other things, a culture of academic integrity. Students are continually supported and guided in what constitutes academic integrity and why this enriches their experience and bestows benefits intrinsically linked to knowledge acquisition, skills development and qualification.
Academic misconduct is, in essence, a breach of this norm. The application of the academic misconduct procedure set out in Academic Regulations 6 & 7 primarily protects this culture.
Academic integrity means demonstrating honest, moral behaviours when producing academic work. This involves acknowledging the work of others, giving appropriate credit to others where their ideas are presented as part of your work and the importance of producing work in your own voice. Contributions by artificial intelligence (AI) tools must be properly acknowledged. As part of a learning community, students share ideas and develop new ones – you need to be able to interpret and present other people's ideas and combine these with your own when producing work. To achieve this, you will be supported to develop skills of reflection and self-awareness about topics such as fairness, responsibility and respect in academic practice.
Academic integrity includes a variety of elements including:
- honesty - being truthful about which ideas are our own and which are derived from others and about the methodologies and results of our work.
- trust - the ability to rely on the truth of someone or something is a fundamental pillar of academic pursuit and a necessary foundation of academic work.
- fairness - not trying to gain an advantage by unfair means for instance by passing off the work of others as your own.
- responsibility - taking an active role in our own learning.
- respect - for the work of fellow students, teachers and other writers and scholars.
- courage - being courageous means acting in accordance with one's convictions. Students who exhibit courage hold themselves and their fellow learners to the highest standards of academic integrity even when doing so involves risk of negative consequences, such as a bad grade, or reprisal from their peers or others.
The University recognises that there is a difference between academic misconduct and poor academic practice. Poor academic practice involves minor breaches of discipline-specific citation and/or referencing conventions that give no discernible academic advantage. Where poor academic practice is identified, your work will be marked according to the relevant grade criteria, and you will be directed to the resources available to help you improve your working methods and academic writing to avoid potential academic misconduct.
Plagiarism (including copying, self-plagiarism and collusion)
Plagiarism is the act of presenting the work of another person (or people) and/or content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools as your own without proper acknowledgement. This includes copying the work of another student or other students.
The University expects students to take responsibility for the security of their work (i.e. with written work, to ensure that other students do not get access to electronic or hard copy of the work). Failure to keep work secure may allow others to cheat, and could result in an allegation of academic misconduct for students whose work have been copied, particularly if the origin of the work is in doubt.
Self-plagiarism
The act of presenting part or all of your work that has been previously submitted to meet the requirements of a different assessment, except where the nature of the assessment makes this permissible.
Collusion
The act, by two or more students, of presenting a piece of work jointly without acknowledging the collaboration. This could include permitting or assisting another to present work that has been copied or paraphrased from your own work.
The University also defines collusion as the act of one student presenting a piece of work as their own independent work when the work was undertaken by a group. With group work, where individual members submit parts of the total assignment, each member of a group must take responsibility for checking the legitimacy of the work submitted in his/her name. If even part of the work is found to contain academic misconduct, penalties will normally be imposed on all group members equally.
Cheating in an examination venue
The University defines cheating in an examination venue as including:
- Taking notes or any unauthorised materials into an examination venue. This includes having notes available in toilets or other areas that may be visited during the examination. If students refuse to comply with instructions if they request to leave the examination venue during the examination (e.g. a toilet visit), this may be considered evidence of attempted academic misconduct.
- Obtaining an advanced copy of a question paper.
- Unauthorised communication during an examination (including via telephone or other electronic media).
- Removing an examination answer book from the examination venue.
- Copying from another candidate.
- Allowing oneself to be impersonated.
- Impersonating another candidate.
Fabricating or falsifying data or using without permission another person's work
The act of fabricating or falsifying data to include presenting work that has not taken place. This includes laboratory reports or projects based on experimental or field work. It may also include falsifying attendance sheets for placements where this is part of the assessment requirements.
Purchasing or commissioning
The act of attempting to purchase or purchasing work for an assessment including, for example from the internet, or attempting to commission, or commissioning someone else to complete an assessment on your behalf.
The University recognises that students who are new to UK Higher Education may need some time to learn how to acknowledge sources properly. Therefore, it operates an ‘academic induction period' during which the focus of the University's response to signs of plagiarism and/or collusion is to educate students in regard to appropriate academic practice and academic integrity rather than to penalise unacceptable academic practice.
The academic induction period applies to all full-time and part-time students and is defined as:
- the first academic year of a student's registration with the University on an undergraduate course at Level 3 or 4 only.
- the first teaching block on a postgraduate course
The academic induction period does not apply to:
- direct entrants at Levels 5 and 6
- any form of reassessment
The academic induction period covers first and concurrent occurrences of plagiarism and/or collusion. It does not apply to other forms of academic misconduct.
The procedures for investigating suspected cases of academic misconduct are set out in Academic Regulations 6 Academic Integrity – Taught Courses 2023/24 and Academic Regulations 7 Academic Integrity – Research Degrees 2023/24.
The penalties for academic misconduct have been determined on the basis of the following principles:
- No student should gain any advantage over another as a result of academic misconduct.
- Where there is evidence of collusion, all students implicated in the case should normally receive the same penalty.
- Where there is evidence of plagiarism or copying group work, all those involved will normally receive the same penalty.
- In recognition of understanding how academic integrity has been breached, a student who admits to academic misconduct prior to a formal hearing will receive a reduced penalty (AR6 Taught Courses).
Summary of penalties applicable for Academic Misconduct - Taught Courses
| Penalty A | Element of assessment awarded a mark of zero (Z). Reassessment by retake is permitted if required. |
|---|---|
| Penalty B | Module and element of assessment awarded a mark of zero (Z). Reassessment by retake is permitted, if this is allowed by the standard assessment regulations. If the reassessment is being undertaken in retake mode, the penalty only requires reassessment in the piece of work in which the academic misconduct took place. However, where other elements are failed, these too should be set as retake as per assessment regulations. Where any subsequent reassessment is judged to be of the required pass standard, the overall module result will be capped at the minimum pass mark. Additional learning support to be provided. |
| Penalty C | Module and element of assessment awarded a mark of zero (Z). Reassessment by retake will not be permitted. An opportunity to repeat/replace the module is permitted, if this is allowed by the standard assessment regulations. Where any subsequent reassessment is judged to be of the required pass standard, the overall module result will be capped at the minimum pass mark. |
| Penalty D | Module and element of assessment awarded a mark of zero (Z). A PAB will terminate the registration and award based on credit achieved at that point. |
Penalties by Offence and Repeat Offence - Taught Courses
| Plagiarism or Collusion | Other type of academic misconduct | Mixed offences* | |
| ** | A | N/A | N/A |
| First offence | B | C | N/A |
| Second offence | C | D | D |
| Third offence | D | N/A | D |
*Mixed offences are when a repeat offence is made in a different category to the first offence.
**Penalty A is only applied where a penalty B offence is admitted to prior to a formal hearing.
Summary of penalties applicable for Academic Misconduct - Research Degrees
ALLEGATION ARISING BEFORE SUBMISSION OF THE THESIS FOR FINAL EXAMINATION
| Module Level | Type of Academic Misconduct | 1st offence | 2nd, repeat or concurrent offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/8 | Plagiarism or collusion | Opportunity to revise the work. Additional learning support will be provided. Progression delayed until improved work is developed and submitted. | Termination of registration |
| 7/8 | Other types of academic misconduct | Opportunity to revise the work. Additional learning support will be provided. Progression delayed until improved work is developed and submitted. | Termination of registration |
ALLEGATION ARISING AFTER SUBMISSION OF THE THESIS FOR FINAL EXAMINATION
| Module Level | Type of Academic Misconduct | 1st offence | 2nd, repeat or concurrent offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/8 | Plagiarism or collusion | Termination of registration. In cases of poor academic practice, this will be addressed as part of the examination process. | Termination of registration |
| 7/8 | Other types of academic misconduct | Termination of registration | Termination of registration |
If you are studying on a taught course, you can use the procedures set out in Academic Appeals section below to request a review of an outcome in relation to Academic Misconduct either following the Academic Misconduct Panel or following the final decision of the Programme Assessment Board if there is evidence that the procedure was not followed.
If you are studying on a research degree, you can use the procedures set out in Academic Appeals section below to request a review of an outcome in relation to Academic Misconduct either following the Academic Misconduct Panel or following the final decision of URDC if there is evidence that the procedure was not followed.
You cannot appeal against the penalty imposed by a Programme Assessment Board or the University Research Degrees Committee.
Academic appeals
If your appeal includes queries about missing marks, or what you think might be incorrect marks, you should speak to your course team directly in the first instance so that this can be addressed quickly. If, following this, you still believe that you have grounds for appeal then the appeals procedure should be used.
Please note that you can expect to receive a response to your appeal within 20 university working days. Until you receive an appeal outcome, you must assume that the decision of the assessment board stands and you must engage with whatever assessments you have been set.
Assessment Boards make decisions on assessment outcomes, student progress and awards. An academic appeal is a request for a review of an Assessment Board decision.
You might have grounds to appeal if you have evidence:
- that there was a significant irregularity in the assessment process;
- that there was evidence of bias or a perception of bias in the assessment process; or,
- that the Assessment Board was not aware of a significant factor relating to your assessment. This includes mitigating circumstances that you could not present to the Assessment Board when it made its original decision.
You can only appeal against marks that have been ratified by an Assessment Board.
Before you make an appeal
Please read the relevant regulations for:
- Taught courses – AR8: Academic Appeals 2024/25 (PDF)
- Research degrees – AR9: Academic Appeals 2024/25 (PDF)
- Third party representative form 2024/25 (Word doc)
You can seek independent advice from Kingston Students' Union Advice Centre. You can make an appointment with the advice service by email: support@kingston.ac.uk.
To make an appeal
You must submit your academic appeal within 15 working days of your results being published.
- Use your Kingston University Student ID to login to OSIS;
- Go to the "Your Studies" tab;
- In the list shown you will see the title "Appeals", and a link to the online appeals system;
- You will find further instructions provided on screen.
If you have difficulties accessing the system please contact the IT service desk.
If there are reasons preventing you from making an online submission, please contact Academicregistry@Kingston.ac.uk.
The academic appeals process is not intended to encourage students to challenge disappointing results.
You should not appeal because you disagree with the Assessment Board – for instance to complain about the decision of academic staff on the quality of your work. This is defined as academic judgement.
The appeals process excludes complaints against services provided by the University including the delivery of a programme and the teaching you receive.
If you have concerns that these factors are having an impact on your ability to perform at your best in assessments, you will need to raise these through a separate complaints procedure (see General Regulation 2), as soon as you are aware that you are being affected by a service delivery shortfall. Waiting for your results before speaking up about such complaints will probably be too late.
Academic Quality and Standards Handbook 2024/25
The Academic Quality and Standards Handbook (AQSH) for 2024/25 consists of 16 sections, including an introduction, which detail the University's principles and procedures for approving, monitoring and reviewing its courses, programmes and partnerships. It is anticipated that the AQSH will be of most benefit to those members of staff with day-to-day involvement in the University's quality assurance and enhancement procedures.
If you have queries regarding the Academic Quality and Standards Handbook, please get in touch with the Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) team AT qae@kingston.ac.uk
Introduction to the Academic Quality and Standards Handbook 2024/25
- (i) – Abbreviations and Glossary (PDF)
- (ii) – Current fee levels 2024/25 (PDF)
Section A: Academic Portfolio Changes
- Annex A – Post PMG Processes for New Courses Following Approval to Proceed to Validation 2024/25 (Word doc)
- Annex B – Process for the Validation of a New Course 2024/25 (Word doc)
- Annex C – Process for the Validation of a New Collaborative Partner Course 2024/25 (Word doc)
- Annex D – Process for Significant Changes to Existing Courses (Formally Revalidation Process) 2024/25 (Word doc)
Forms and templates
- A1 – New qualification form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- A2 – New Course and Proposal Provision to be delivered by KU only 2024/25 (Word doc)
- A2a – PMG Approval Form for Collaborative Partner Proposals 2024/25 (Word doc)
- A2b – Proposal for the approval of a new collaborative partner or new provision to be delivered by a collaborative partner 2024/25 (Word doc)
- A3 – Course and partner closure and suspension to recruitment form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- A4 – Change to location of delivery form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- A5 – Addition of a new course pathway or change of title to an existing pathway 2024/25 (Word doc)
- A6 – Change to the duration, learning mode, delivery mode or intakes of a course 2024/25 (Word doc)
- A7 – Student consultation outcome regarding transfer to new course 2024/25 (Word doc)
Section B: Managing Higher Education provision with others
- B1 – Due diligence/institutional re-approval evidence request: UK publicly funded institution 2024/25
- B2 – Due diligence/institutional re-approval evidence request: UK privately funded institution 2024/25
- B3 – Due diligence/institutional re-approval evidence request: overseas institution 2024/25
- B3i – Due diligence/institutional re-approve evidence request: high status Chinese institutions 2024/25
- B4 – Due diligence report template: UK publicly funded institution 2024/25
- B5 – Due diligence report template: UK privately funded institution 2024/25
- B6 – Due diligence report template: overseas institution 2024/25
- B7 – Institutional agreement template 2024/25
- B7 (i) – Schedule 5a GDPR 2024/25
- B7 (ii) – Schedule 5b GDPR 2024/25
- B7 (iii) – Schedule 5c GDPR 2024/25
- B7 (iv) – Schedule 5d GDPR 2024/25
- B8 – Annual Institutional Monitoring report template 2024/25
- B9 – Annual Institutional Monitoring Overview report template 2024/25
- B10 – Institutional re–approval report template 2024/25
- B11 – Notes for completion of action plan for terminating a collaborative partnership 2024/25
- B12 – Termination agreement template 2024/25
- B13 – Collaborative partner contingency plans 2024/25
Guidance notes
- BG (i) – The role of the Liaison Officer 2024/25
- BG (ii) – Liaison document guidelines 2024/25
- BG (iv) – Guidelines on the application and regulations and procedures for collaborative programmes 2024/25
- BG (v) – Promoting and marketing collaborative programmes 2024/25
- BG (vi) – Availability of University services and resources for different types of collaborative partner 2024/25
- BG (vii) – Spectrum of collaborative provision and associated due diligence requirements 2024/25
- BG (viii) – Guidance on preparing a collaborative partner contingency plan 2024/25
Section C: Validation of new courses
Please contact QAE to access forms C2, C4, C5 and C11.
- C1 – Panel nomination form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C1A – External expert nomination form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C2 – Table of modules contributing to a course for module directory 2024/25
- C3 – Application for exemption or variant to AF 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C4 – Programme specification 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C5 – Module descriptor template 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C6 – Faculty documentation check 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C7 – Low risk validation external scrutiny report 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C8 – Faculty conditions check 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C9 – Chair's approval of conditions 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C11 – Indicative module summative assessment map (Word doc)
- C12 – External subject expert report 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C13 – External Industry Expert Report 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C14 – Resources document template 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C15 – Agenda for Validation Planning Meeting 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C16 – Academic Framework and Academic Regulations-Key Points Checklists 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C17 – Briefing Document Template 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C18 – Module Delivery Dates 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C19 – Staff Development Document 2024/25 (Word doc)
- C20 – Key Meetings and Milestones for Online Courses and Modules (Word doc)
Guidance notes
- CG (i) – Producing documentation for validation events 2024/25 (PDF)
- CG (ii) – Completing module descriptors and module guides 2024/25 (Word doc)
- CG (iii) – Module setup funding and reporting 2024/25 (PDF)
- CG (iv) – Validation documentary requirements matrix 2024/25 (Word doc)
- CG (v) – Placement and work–based learning guidelines 2024/25 (PDF)
- CG (vi) – Validation criteria 2024/25 (Word doc)
- CG (vii) – Writing course handbooks 2024/25 (PDF)
Section D: Kingston continuous enhancement process (KCEP)
- D1 – Module Enhancement Plan (MEP) 2024/25 (Word doc)
- D2 – Course Enhancement Plan (CEP) 2024/25 (Word doc)
- D3 – NCB Provision Enhancement Plan 2024/25 (Word doc)
- D4 – School KCEP report 2024/25 (Word doc)
- D5 – Faculty KCEP report 2024/25 (Word doc)
Guidance notes
Section E: Substantive Review
- E1 – Substantive review advance documentation faculty check 2024/25 (Word doc)
- E2 – Critical Evaluation document (CED) 2024/25 (Word doc)
- E3 – Faculty conditions check 2024/25 (Word doc)
- E4 – Chair's approval of conditions response 2024/25 (Word doc)
- E5 – Industry External Nomination Form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- E6 – Subject External and Internal Nomination Form 2024/25 (Word doc)
Guidance notes
Section G: Changes to courses, modules and academic regulations
- G1 – Proposal for significant changes to an existing course 2024-25 (Word doc)
- G3 – Application for a variation to UG or PG Regulations 2024/25 (Word doc)
- G4 – Changes to courses and modules form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- G5 – Proposal for a new standalone module 2024/25 (Word doc)
- G6 – Changes to NCB provision 2024/25 (Word doc)
Guidance notes
Section H: Accreditation processes
- H1 – Student request for recognition of prior and or experiential learning 2024/25 (Word doc)
- H2 – Articulation proposal form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- H3 – Articulation agreement 2024/25 (Word doc)
- H4 – Monitoring of articulation agreements 2024/25 (Word doc)
- H5 – Monitoring of progression agreements 2024/25 (Word doc)
- H6 – Progression agreement 2024/25 (Word doc)
- I1 – Application for approval of a subject external examiner 2024/25 (Word doc)
- I2 – Application for additional duties or extension 2024/25 (Word doc)
- I3 – Application for approval of a PAB external examiner 2024/25 (Word doc)
- I4 – Application for approval of a HDA external examiner 2024/25 (Word doc)
- I5 – PAB/HDA external examiner annual report response letter 2024/25 (Word doc)
- I6 – Subject external examiner annual report form 2024/25
- I7 – PAB external examiner annual report form 2024/25 (Word doc)
- I8 – HDA external examiner annual report form 2024/25 (Word doc)
Guidance notes
- IG (i) – Responsibilities of faculties and central university departments 2024/25 (PDF)
- IG (ii) – Checklist of documentation for new external examiners 2024/25 (PDF)
- IG (iii) – Induction of new external examiners and planning of audit of assessment 2024/25 (PDF)
- IG (iv) – Rights and responsibilities of subject external examiners 2024/25 (PDF)
- IG (v) – Rights and responsibilities of PAB external examiners 2024/25 (PDF)
- IG (vi) – Rights and responsibilities of Higher and Degree Apprenticeship (HDA) External Examiners 2024/25 (PDF)
- IG (vii) – External examiner guide to accessing KU systems 2024/25 (PDF)
- IG (viii) – Student guide to the role of the External Examiner 2024/25 (PDF)
- IG (ix) – External Examiner Module Materials: Guide for Kingston University Academic Staff 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(i) – Committee structure diagram 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(ii) – Summary of committee responsibilities 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(iii) – Education Committee Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(iv) – Faculty Education Committee Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(v) – Portfolio Management Group Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(vi) – Quality Assurance Portfolio Change Committee Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(vii) – Apprenticeship Monitoring Committee Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(viii) – Apprenticeship Operations and Compliance Group Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(ix) – Academic Information Monitoring Committee Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(x) – Learning Technology and Spaces Advisory Committee Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(xi) – Student Voice Group Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(xii) – Teaching Excellence Steering Group Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(xiii) – School Education Committee Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(xiv) – Terms of reference and standard agenda for executive committee 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(xv) – Course and Module Modification Panel Terms of Reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(xvi) – Student Voice Committee (SVC) terms of reference 2024/25 (PDF)
- OG(xvii) – Standing Validation Panel (SVP) Terms of Reference 2024/25 (Word)
Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework
Kingston University is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our community. We aim to create a supportive and inclusive environment where students are provided with a range of accessible services, activities and interventions to help them succeed while studying with us.
We recognise there are times when students may struggle due to the demands of studying and other pressures in their lives. We have developed this Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework to set out our whole institution commitment to protecting the wellbeing of students and staff. Our framework is aligned with the Student Minds University Mental Health Charter for which we are a Programme Member.
Our approach includes resources and interventions to enhance mental fitness, encourage healthy behaviours, and empower students to manage their own mental health and wellbeing. Students are enabled to access appropriate wellbeing support if they need it through a combination of internal services and external partnerships.
The health and wellbeing of our students is a top priority. We recognise our legal duties and responsibilities in relation to health and safety regulations, the Equality Act 2010 and the safeguarding of children and adults at risk.
However, we also believe it is important for our students and their supporters to have absolute clarity about the boundaries of what we can and cannot provide as a university.
Our Student Life, Health and Wellbeing team offers a range of services to students on a self-referral basis. This means students must usually request and engage with these services to benefit from them.
- Emotional and wellbeing support is available in the form of short-term counselling (up to 6 sessions), listening sessions, time/stress management and drop-ins. Students have access to self-help guides covering a variety of common issues from Anxiety to Sleeping Problems.
- Mental Health and Disability Advisers recommend adjustments based on medical evidence, and support students with a diagnosed disability or mental health condition to fully engage with their studies.
- Students can access money advice, financial support and faith and spirituality services, and we have in place tailored support for groups that face specific challenges in accessing and succeeding at university, such as our KU Cares programme for students who are care experienced, estranged from their family, young adult carers or sanctuary scholars.
- We have a robust safeguarding process, which can be used by staff, students, visitors and other parties to report concerns about a student.
The University adheres to guidance and sector best practice in its delivery of our internal services. However, our in-house provision is not an emergency service, and does not seek to replicate or replace statutory services such as the NHS.
There are times when it is most beneficial for our students to receive specialist care or intervention directly from these services, either instead of, or alongside our internal support. This is particularly true when there are complex health or risk factors, or when individuals need emergency or crisis support. In these circumstances, we will help our students access relevant services outside the university. This may include signposting to specialist charities and third sector organisations, as well as statutory services.
We believe that providing internal services within the bounds and remit of our role as a university, and working as closely as possible with the NHS, local authorities, and other external organisations, is the best way to ensure our students have access to the broadest range of support, the most positive outcome for their care needs, and the best chance of success at university.
At a time of crisis, our primary concern is for the wellbeing of the student. In line with our data privacy policy, if a student is a risk to themselves or others, our priority will be to inform relevant emergency services to enable appropriate intervention by professionals with the necessary skills and expertise.
We will only ever involve a student's emergency contact in conversations about their wellbeing with the student's explicit consent. The only exception is in an emergency, to protect the student's vital interests. In these cases, we will use the most recent emergency contact information provided to us by the student.
We are a signatory of the University Mental Health Charter, which sets out principles of good practice that universities can follow to achieve a whole-university approach. The Charter's 18 themes are mapped against the 4 domains of the UUK Mentally Healthy Universities model:
- Learn
- Support
- Work
- Live
This framework provides examples of activities, services and interventions to support the mental health and wellbeing of students at Kingston University across each of the 4 domains and identifies a key action in each area for delivery in 2023/24. Find out more about the framework
Non-academic policies
- Anti-bribery policy (PDF)
- Ethics action plan(PDF)
- Ethics statement policy (PDF)
- Gift acceptance policy (PDF)
- Acceptable use policy – Email (PDF)
- Acceptable use policy – Facilities (PDF)
- Acceptable use policy – Mobile and BYO devices (PDF)
- Acceptable use policy – My Data Box (PDF)
- Copyright infringement policy (PDF)
- CCTV code of practice (PDF)
- Data Protection Policy (PDF)
- Data Protection Privacy Notices
- Data Quality Policy(PDF)
- Data Subject Request form
- Freedom of Information Policy (PDF)
- Information security policy (PDF)
- IT Security Policy (PDF)
- Linking to our website policy (PDF)
- Multi-Function device policy (PDF)
- Special Category and Criminal Offence Data policy (PDF)
- Record of Processing Activity (PDF)
- Retention policy (PDF)
- Retention schedule (PDF)
- Whistleblowing policy (PDF)
Contact us
Need more information?
Contact us to find the right person to reach out to, or call our switchboard on +44 (0)20 8417 9000.
