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Green Templeton Meetings and Events Guidelines and Policies

This material includes information on a number of areas

  • Code of Practice on Meetings and Events
  • Health and safety information when organising events
  • Prevent Duty
  • Security when organising events
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Overseas visitors

Code of Practice on Meetings and Events

Green Templeton put the following guidelines and polices document together in line with University of Oxford policies at the time of drafting.

For full procedure please see Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech Annex A: Procedure for meetings and events

Preamble

1. Free speech is the lifeblood of a university. It enables the pursuit of knowledge. It helps us approach truth. It allows students, teachers and researchers to become better acquainted with the variety of beliefs, theories and opinions in the world. Recognising the vital importance of free expression for the life of the mind, a university may make rules concerning the conduct of debate but should never prevent speech that is lawful.

2. Green Templeton College, University of Oxford seeks to protect robustly civic and academic freedoms and to foster an academic culture of openness and inclusivity, in which members of our community engage with each other, and the public, in debate and discussion, and remain open to both intellectual challenge and change.

3. The legal duty of UK universities to protect free speech is enshrined in legislation, including the Education (No 2) Act 1986 and the Human Rights Act 1998 and academic freedom is protected by the Education Reform Act 1988 and Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.

Part A1 of the Act states that:

  • (1) The governing body of a registered higher education provider must take the steps that, having particular regard to the importance of freedom of speech, are reasonably practicable for it to take in order to achieve the objective in subsection (2).
  • (2) That objective is securing freedom of speech within the law for:
    • (a) staff of the provider, (b) members of the provider, (c) students of the provider and (d) visiting speakers.
  • (3) The objective in subsection (2) of the Act includes securing that
    • (a) the use of any premises of the provider is not denied to any individual on the basis of their ideas or opinions or in respect of their ability to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions so that they are not placed at risk of being adversely affected so that they lose their jobs or privileges within the College or their chances of promotion or securing different jobs is reduced.

4. The central importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom in a university underlies this code.

Scope

5. This Code of Practice must be followed by all members, students, staff, societies, Common Room, contractors, visitors and external organisers in respect of: (a) all meetings and other events, to be held outdoors or indoors, on college premises, including those organised by third parties; and (b) all meetings and other events, which are college funded, affiliated or branded regardless of location, including online.

6. It is not anticipated that events and meetings which have been organised as part of the academic curriculum or cocurriculum would cause concern such as to require formal referral to the Proctors under the provisions of this code.

7. Freedom of speech and academic freedom must be protected.

8. Green Templeton believes that a culture of free, open and robust discussion can be achieved only if all concerned engage critically but courteously with each other. The college does not tolerate any form of harassment or victimisation and expects all members of the college community, its visitors and contractors to treat each other with respect, courtesy and consideration. Peaceful protest is a legitimate expression of free speech but must not shut down debate nor cause substantial disruption, in line with Annex B: Guidance on Demonstrations or Protests.

9. Green Templeton is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all members of the college community are respected.

10. All activity must be risk assessed and planned in accordance with the college’s health and safety policies.

Procedure

11. Members, students and employees of the college who are organising meetings or events or are responsible for administering external bookings of the college premises are responsible for assessing whether there are any major risks or issues in the context of this code, in particular with reference to paras 7–8 and 10. (If they are in any doubt or have any questions or need for further information, they are encouraged to discuss the situation with colleagues locally in the first instance, and then seek advice, as appropriate, from senior management, University Security Services or the Proctors’ Office.).

12. Events and meetings must be formally notified to the Green Templeton Events team on email events@gtc.ox.ac.uk. Where a meeting or event falls under section 6.2 (a)-(e) of the college’s Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech, the Organiser should formally notify the meeting or event to the Domestic Bursar at least twenty (20) working days in advance of the meeting or event. If less notice is given the Domestic Bursar will seek to consider the matter in the reduced timeframe if there are compelling reasons why the meeting or event cannot be delayed and – if it is reasonably practical to do so. However, if there are no compelling reasons why the event cannot be delayed and/or if it is not practically possible for the college to make the necessary arrangements in the reduced time, the organiser may need to organise and fund security independently. For example concerns that the meeting or event:

a. May give rise to an environment in which people will experience, or could reasonably fear, discrimination, harassment, intimidation, verbal abuse or violence, particularly (but not exclusively) on account of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation;

b. Is likely to pose a risk to the safety of those lawfully on college premises; or that it may prompt a risk to public safety.

As required by section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, the college will not give permission to hold a meeting or event where it is known that:

a. the proposed speaker belongs to, or professes to belong to, a proscribed organisation; or

b. the proposed speaker will use the event to support, or to further the activities of, a proscribed organisation.

13. In the context of this Code, the college Events team is entrusted with the duty to assess the implications of events formally referred to them and to act in accordance with the college’s legal responsibilities, including:

a. The importance of academic freedom (as required eg by the Education Reform Act 1988);

b. the need to ensure that freedom of speech within the law is secured (as required eg by the Education (No 2) Act 1986); the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and the Education Reform Act 1988)

c. the rights and freedoms enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and incorporated into domestic law by the Human Rights Act 1998;

d. to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, promote equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different groups in accordance with the Public Sector Equality Duty; and

e. the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 which requires universities and other ‘specified authorities’ to ‘have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’ (section 26 (1)) and which also provides that ‘when carrying out the duty imposed by section 26 (1)’, universities ‘must have particular regard to the duty to ensure freedom of speech; and to the importance of academic freedom.’7 12 The college shall act in a risk-based and proportionate manner and with the desire, wherever possible, to enable events or meetings to proceed. Cancellation of events is undesirable and should be exceptional.

Referral

14. An intentional or reckless breach of this Code of Practice or a frivolous, vexatious and/or malicious referral may lead to disciplinary action being taken under the appropriate college procedure.

Decisions

15. The Events Team may recommend conditions or relocation, but final decisions to refuse, cancel or alter events must be referred to the Domestic Bursar and, if necessary, the Executive Management Group, in line with the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech. The responsibility for fulfilling these conditions rests with the organisers.

16. No meeting or event which a student (including the Graduate Common Room and college societies) or employee is proposing to be held on college premises may be refused, cancelled or altered as a result of the ideas or opinions (in the case of an individual, or a member of a body) or the policy or objectives (in the case of a body) of the individual or body seeking to hold the meeting or event save as a result of other concerns and following consideration by the Executive Management Group.

17. The Domestic Bursar / Executive Management Group will communicate their decision promptly and will set out the reasons for the decision.

Appeal

18. If any of the individuals listed in section 2.2(2) and 2.3 of the college’s Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech is dissatisfied with the decision of the college in relation to a meeting or event they may refer the matter under the relevant complaints procedure as set out in sections 5.6 – 5.7 of the college’s Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech.

Health and Safety when organising events at Green Templeton

The 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act stipulates that you need to take steps so far as is reasonably practical to provide a duty of care.

It is the responsibility of the Event Organiser to plan, manage and monitor the event to ensure that workers, guests, contractors and the visiting public are not exposed to health and safety risks. The level of detail in your planning should be proportionate to the scale of the event and the degree of risk. Green Templeton has risk assessments in place for meeting rooms and catering facilities which can be shared on request. Specific risk assessments for your event will need to be created. Guidelines

Prevent Duty

The government’s Prevent duty requires universities to consider and review their policies and procedures in a number of areas, including the management of events that take place on University premises, or are University affiliated, funded, or branded or hosted online. Schools and universities have a legal responsibility to “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.

Given the rise of extremist voices it’s important that this is considered for your event to understand how to protect attendees from this threat. Understanding how the Prevent duty is embedded as part of the wider safeguarding policy will help you to:

  • Protect from radicalising influences
  • Build resilience to extremist narratives
  • Identify any vulnerabilities or worrying changes in behaviour
  • Know what to do if you have concerns

As part of our prevent duty you will be asked to sign on our booking form to acknowledge that you have carried out the relevant risk assessments in respect that the Prevent duty has been carried out for your event. You can find more information in:

Security when organising events

As the Event booker, you have a ‘duty of care’ to ensure that those attending or involved with your event are safe and that the event venue is secure. It is the responsibility of the Event booker to comply with Green Templeton’s Code of Practice on Meetings and Events, and to identify any risks and take steps to mitigate those risks. If your event does require security please inform the GTC Events Team. More information

Safeguarding Policy

Please find the information outlining Green Templeton’s approach to preventing and reducing harm to children when they are in contact with university staff, workers, volunteers, students and any personal on Green Templeton College Grounds.

Overseas visitors

If you are planning to organise an overseas speaker or guest to your event please find out more information regarding visitor visas.

Green Templeton College will periodically review the contents and operation of this policy to ensure continued alignment with the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech
Last reviewed and updated September 2025