Consent Matters and Tackling Harassment

The University of Wolverhampton is committed to being a safe environment for every community member who studies, lives and works here. We know that experiences of sexual harassment can have a serious impact on people and make it more difficult to achieve their potential.  

Everyone at our university is responsible for their part in creating this respectful environment. Consent and active bystander education have a proven positive impact on preventing sexual harassment and giving people the skills and confidence to positively intervene and support each other. 

All University of Wolverhampton students and apprentice learners are invited to complete short online courses called Consent Matters and Tackling Harassment.  

The course will help you to understand our expectations, recognise acceptable boundaries and learn how to support your friends and colleagues. The course will show you what consent looks and sounds like, how you can clearly communicate what you want, when consent can be given and when it can’t, how and when you might step in when consent is not present.  

Talking about sex and personal boundaries can be difficult, and through the completion of the programme we hope students within all levels of their study, and whatever pathway through learning they are on, will learn how to recognise and ask for sexual consent, look out for others at the University, and find support if it’s needed. 

It is an award-winning online programme developed by experts used by universities to support the development of a positive consent culture on campus. It enables the University to set clear expectations and provide information on clear communication, boundaries, mutually respectful relationships and the ways in which we can support others. 

Consent and active bystander education have a proven positive impact on preventing sexual harassment and giving people the skills and confidence to positively intervene and support each other. 

The course is all online, and self-paced. It’s divided into three sections, each taking around 20 minutes to complete 

• Module 1: Thinking about consent. Defining and understanding consent, so you know when you have it as well as when it can and can’t be given, whatever your gender or sexuality. 

• Module 2: Communication skills and relationships. Recognising and asserting your own boundaries, and how to talk about boundaries with others. 

• Module 3: Looking out for others. How to take simple, safe and effective steps to challenge harassment when you see it. 

Developed in collaboration with subject experts, higher education professionals, and students, Tackling Harassment: Promoting Cultural Change in Higher Education consists of a complementary pair of interactive, online courses that will support us as a university in tackling harassment and hate. 

The programme’s courses, Being an active bystander and Responding to disclosures, combine evidence-based best practices with expert learning design to raise awareness, counteract barriers to reporting and intervention, and encourage positive social and cultural change throughout the whole university community. 

1. Go to https://courses.epigeum.com/register and complete the registration form, using your email address when registering.
2. Please enter the token number aligned to your school in the Token field: [TOKEN NUMBER/LETTERS] (see below for details) 
3. You will then be sent an account activation email. Click this to complete registration and activate your account. NOTE: If you do not receive the email in your inbox, please check your SPAM/junk mail. You can also resend the activation email via this link.
4. Once your account is activated, log in using your username (email address) and password. You will be shown your subscribed to Epigeum programmes in the My Courses screen.
5. For technical assistance, please see the help page or contact the Epigeum customer support team directly via this webform.

Token List 

The courses contain a 'Learning' item and an 'End of Module Quiz' for each of the two modules described above. To mark your completion of the courses, you must complete the Learning for each module and achieve 100% on the End of Module Quiz for each module. 

You will know you have completed the course when you can see the 'Course Completed' notification at the end of the course content list.  

We run Consent Matters and Tackling Harassment because we want the University of Wolverhampton community to understand the importance of sexual consent. Consent Matters is designed to be helpful and informative, however we understand that those who have experienced sexual violence may find the content of this course difficult or upsetting, so we offer an opt-out for survivors.

Click here to access the opt-out form. Or access via the QR code below.

If you opt out, you will receive one confirmation email from us with information about support that is available.  The opt-out process is confidentially managed by our Safeguarding Team and no one else will be informed of you opting out. 

Notice: Please complete opt-out form using your University credentials (University email address)

Consent Matters and Tackling Harassment is part of the University of Wolverhampton’s work to prevent sexual misconduct and harassment and provide a safe and respectful environment for all staff, students and visitors.  

Consent Matters is delivered through Epigeum, an organisation that began its life with Imperial and is now part of Oxford University Press. Other institutions using the Consent Matters programme include Oxford, Kings College London, Durham, Queen Mary UoL, Manchester and York. 

The course is being administered by our Directorate of Student Life as part of wider Welcome activities and our work to foster a safer environment.  

All incoming students are expected to complete this module within the first few weeks following registration. Students are being sent information about the course via our dedicated get set CANVAS page which provides everything they need to register for and access the course, and dedicated slots will be allocated within all course inductions.