Dear Council Chair,
We hope you are well.
Naturally, the emails which were sent to all students and staff on Friday, as well as this article in the Daily Mail, are of great interest to those we represent. On behalf of those people, we are requesting clarity.
We believe that the College should shed more light on the allegations mentioned in the email. While respecting individual confidentiality, we believe students deserve to know how serious these allegations might be in practice, especially if they have contributed to a culture which permeates the institution. In particular, we would ask whether it would be possible for a redacted version of the report, which protects the identities of those who gave evidence, could be made available publicly.
We also believe the College ought to share more information about the recommendations made following the investigation. It is difficult for students to take an informed view on this process if they are unaware of all the outcomes. We would welcome further detail about each recommendation, whether all the recommendations which were made were accepted, information about the progress implementing these recommendations, and how they might be reconciled with the College’s zero-tolerance policy on bullying and harassment.
This is a challenging moment for the College, but it is also an opportunity for it to live up to its stated ethics: honesty, fairness, and transparency. We hope the College takes this opportunity.
Yours sincerely,
Abhijay Sood, Shervin Sabeghi, Ross Unwin, Sam Lee, Michaela Flegrova
Imperial College Union Officer Trustee Team 2020-21