Content Warnings

Information for students on content warnings in the School of English

Staff in the School of English are always keen to help you engage with all course material and to try to support your mental and emotional wellbeing. With that in mind, and taking into account student feedback, staff will aim to provide a warning (a 'content warning') where potentially sensitive content forms a prominent part of module material.

Content warnings may be provided within a module in one or more of the following forms:

• on the module information document (e.g. as tags to a reading list)

• via verbal announcements in class

• on the Blackboard site for the module

• by email

There might be a blanket warning issued within a module where it is not practical to issue a warning each time potentially sensitive content appears.

The content warnings will be quite broad. You can find sample lists of the sort of content which may be given warnings in this document from the University of Michigan and this document from the University of Reading. Differences in students' personal circumstances mean that academic staff are not generally in a position to provide exhaustive lists of what might be challenging for each individual on a module. If you have particular concerns in this regard, then please raise those concerns with your module tutor, module convenor or personal tutor as appropriate.

You can help us provide effective content warnings - if you feel that the content warnings for particular materials could be usefully revised (e.g. something was not given a content warning where you think a warning was warranted) then let your module tutor or module convenor know so that they can consider your suggestions when revising module materials.