Welsh Language Standards

With effect from 1 April 2018, the Welsh Language Standards replace the university's Welsh Language Scheme.

The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 established a legal framework to impose duties on public organisations to comply with one or more standards of conduct on the Welsh language, which was made an official language of Wales. This means Welsh must be treated no less favourably than English.

The university is committed to making a positive contribution to the development of the Welsh language and will:

• Treat the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language
• Encourage Welsh speakers to take advantage of the services they have the right to receive from us in Welsh
• Provide awareness training to all staff about the Welsh Language Standards and support to those who require assistance with the Welsh language.

We demonstrate our commitment to the Standards and state how we will comply with them within the following policies:

Governance arrangements

Ultimate responsibility for ensuring the university’s overall compliance with the Welsh Language (No. 6) Regulations 2017, along with all other policy implementation and monitoring matters, lies with the university Executive Board.

Specific responsibility for guidance and advice on the Welsh Language Standards lies with the Compliance and Risk team within the university Secretary's Office. The Compliance and Risk team provide regular reports to the Welsh Language Steering Group, chaired by our Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

This group is responsible for the day to day implementation of our activities that ensure we comply with the Welsh Language Standards and our Policies.

The university has an active Welsh Language Champions network with at least one member of staff from each School, College and Department. They are the initial point of contact for the Compliance and Risk team and the School/Department they work in.

The Compliance and Risk team communicate regularly with the champions to disseminate information and guidance that helps the university comply with the Standards and there are quarterly meetings where the group meet to share good practice and discuss ideas.

Our offer to students

• We welcome correspondence and telephone enquiries in Welsh and will ensure that all correspondence received by the university in Welsh receives a signed reply in Welsh.
• If you receive circulars and standard letters from us, they will be bilingual.
• Our centrally produced publications and printed materials will also be published bilingually.
• All the university's Corporate web pages and our Colleges, Schools, Departments, Research Centres and Institutes' homepages will be available in Welsh and English.

Learning through the medium of Welsh

The university is fully committed to the recent sector-wide developments in relation to Welsh medium provision. We offer a significant amount of modules which can be studied through the medium of Welsh across a wide range of subjects from Law to Medicine.

We also have exciting plans to develop many more opportunities to study through the medium of Welsh which you can read about on the Cardiff branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol site.

Tutoring

You can ask for a Welsh-speaking personal tutor, provided there are Welsh-speaking members of the teaching staff in your subject area. If there are no Welsh-speaking members in the teaching staff, an appropriate member of staff from another School will be asked to tutor you.

In the School of Welsh and Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Welsh for Adults Centre, all students have Welsh speaking tutors.

Exams

You'll be offered the opportunity to sit your exams through the medium of Welsh, irrespective of whether you've received your tutoring in Welsh.

If you want to sit your exams in Welsh we'll ensure that your assessed coursework, examination papers and scripts are translated where Welsh-speaking markers are not available. These arrangements are subject to any national or professional body guidance, regulations or QAA Guidance.

Communication

If you're based in Wales we'll offer you the choice to be interviewed in Welsh when we invite you to your interview.

Accommodation

You'll have the opportunity to apply for accommodation which is specifically set aside for Welsh speakers at two halls of residence, Senghennydd Court and Talybont North.

Other services

Some other services you can expect through the medium of Welsh are:

• letters
• applying for financial support
• counselling services
• meetings
• certificates
• forms
• submitting written work in Welsh
• a Welsh welcome booklet
• a Welsh language prospectus.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the university's Welsh Language Standards please contact the Compliance and Risk team: