Funding provided to Fearless Glasgow: FOI release

Information requested

1. A list of qualifying acceptance criteria for defining microaggression and the legal ramifications of such action under Scottish law (i.e. what happens to those reported and what is their subsequent legal right to respond).

2. I seek details of all taxpayer funding in this respect (SG funding of Culture Shift software)

Response

1. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested, under section 17(1) of FOISA.

For your request, you may wish to contact Glasgow Caledonian University for information about criteria in relation to the Report and Support Tool: https://www.gcu.ac.uk/aes/contactus/.

2. The Scottish Government has funded Fearless Glasgow Grouping £45,000 to support a pilot of the Report and Support Tool, with nine college and universities for 2021/22, which will be subject to evaluation.

Glasgow Caledonian University, as lead partner in Fearless Glasgow, received this grant of £45,000. The University has advised that this was distributed as follows:

Institution	Allocation
Ayrshire College	£5,179.71
Glasgow Kelvin College	£5,179.71
City of Glasgow College	£5,179.71
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland	£3,480.77
Glasgow School of Art	£3,480.77
Glasgow Clyde College	£4,350.96
Glasgow Caledonian University	£6,049.90
University of the West of Scotland	£5,179.71
Strathclyde University	£6,920.09
TOTAL	£45,001.33

The purpose of the Report and Support Tool pilot is in support of work to ensure that college and university campuses are safe places for students to live, work and study free from sexual harassment and gender based violence.

In terms of your wider concerns about freedom of speech at Scottish universities, the Scottish Government fully supports individuals’ rights to freedom of expression, and believes universities to be places where freedom of expression should always be promoted and fostered, but not where that harasses or distresses others. As autonomous bodies, universities are responsible for ensuring that they comply with relevant legal requirements.

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.