Welsh Language Standards Report for 1 August 2023-31 July 2024

This Annual Report refers to the period between 1 August 2023 and 31 July 2024 and details how the Welsh Language Standards are implemented at Swansea University.

The report outlines the steps put in place by the University to ensure Compliance with the Welsh Language Standards. The report also highlights recent developments and outlines objectives for 2024-25. A copy of Swansea University's Compliance Notice can be found here.

During the 2023-24 academic year, the University demonstrated its commitment to the Welsh language by appointing Professor Gwenno Ffrancon, Director of Academi Hywel Teifi, as Assistant Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Welsh language, Culture and Heritage. The focus of the role is to embed the strategic vision for the Welsh language agenda in Swansea, enriching the student experience by facilitating access to Welsh language teaching and learning opportunities, stimulating Welsh language research and enterprise, and supporting the Welsh language and Welsh language matters at the University.

During the year, the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer and Academi Hywel Teifi focused on the following objectives:

• Developing a language awareness e-module for all University staff – the e-module aims to promote the Welsh language, explaining the implications of the Welsh Language Standards for University staff as well as outlining the opportunities for staff to learn and use Welsh, and how the University supports students to use their Welsh language when studying and socialising. General elements about Wales and the Welsh language are also presented. The language awareness module will be compulsory for all University staff. The e-module is scheduled to launch during the 2024-25 academic year.
• Continuing to strengthen internal monitoring processes – a robust process was developed for monitoring compliance in the faculties, and work began to review the monitoring processes of the professional services.
• Strengthening the workforce planning process and how Welsh language skills requirements of posts are categorised to meet the requirements of our services – in response to feedback from the Welsh Language Commissioner's office the University strengthened the way it categorises the Welsh skills that are required when recruiting to posts. The University also revised the way posts are advertised to clearly highlight the level of Welsh language skills required for each post. We continue to review our recruitment processes in relation to the Welsh language, alongside the work that the Welsh Language Commissioner's Office is undertaking to try to standardise these processes across the public sector. During the year, a PowerBI dashboard was created which displays the Welsh language skills of all staff, which can be searched by faculty/department/role and so on. This is helpful in advising and planning for Welsh language matters at the University.
• Supporting the reconfiguration of the Translation Service – a new internal system and revised processes have been introduced for submitting a translation request in order to make it easier to use the service. It sets out the normal return times for translations according to the number of words. This enables staff to have a better understanding of the need to include Welsh in planning processes.

Since Summer 2022, Academi Hywel Teifi is made up of the following three units:

• Academic and Creative Provision Unit – which comprises the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Tŷ'r Gwrhyd, the Welsh Language Centre in Pontardawe
• Learn Welsh - Swansea Bay Area – part of the National Centre for Learning Welsh
• The Translation and Language Compliance Unit – which includes the University's Welsh translators and the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer.

The Welsh Language Strategy Committee ensures that the objectives outlined in Swansea University's Welsh Language and Culture Strategy are progressed, as well as the development of Welsh-medium education at the University. The Committee, which meets monthly, is chaired by Professor Gwenno Ffrancon, Director of Academi Hywel Teifi. Members of the committee include the heads of the three Academi Hywel Teifi units listed above, along with the Welsh Language Academic Leads from the three Faculties, and the Welsh Language Strategy Project Officer. The committee acts as a specialist advisor to Swansea University's Senior Leadership Team, recommending changes to the overall strategy, or individual initiatives, in order to increase the likelihood of achieving the University's strategic objectives. The committee oversees the work of Academi Hywel Teifi, the Swansea Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and compliance with the Welsh Language Standards as well as raising awareness of the relevance and importance of the Welsh language to the University.

The role of the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer at the University, Nia Besley, is to promote, facilitate, support and monitor the implementation of the Welsh Language Standards.

Macsen Davies was Swansea University Students' Union's full-time Welsh Affairs Officer for 2023-24. He chaired termly forums for Welsh-medium students as part of his role at the Union but also in his capacity as Chair of the Student Forum of the Swansea Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. In July 2024, Carys Dukes took on the role for the 2024-25 academic year.

Each faculty now has a Welsh Language Leader. The Welsh Language Leaders are responsible for coordinating the faculty's Welsh-medium academic provision as well as overseeing the implementation of the Welsh Language Standards in the context of the faculty's student experience.

The  University's Welsh Language and Culture Strategy has now been in place since June 2022. The Strategy is based on four key pillars, namely our University Culture, Learner Experience, Embedding the Welsh language across the University, and Supporting our Research and Civic Mission. Here are some of the highlights of the year ahead in relation to the four pillars:

Our University Culture

The main aim of this pillar is to ensure that our University is home to a welcoming and thriving, multilingual and multicultural community of students and staff.

When taking up a post at the University, each new member of staff will have an induction session which includes an introduction to Welsh and to the Welsh Language Standards. The presentation refers to opportunities to learn more about any aspect of the Welsh language. The session is also available in Welsh. In addition, from the academic year 2024-25 onwards, a new language awareness e-module will be available and this will be mandatory for all University staff.

There are opportunities for staff to meet other Welsh language staff, including informal sessions, lunch and learn sessions where Welsh priorities are discussed with academic and administrative staff, and the Coleg Cymraeg forums. These are all open to all University staff.

During the past year, the University's student volunteering charity 'Discovery', received the Welsh Language Commissioner’s 'Cynnig Cymraeg’ recognition. As a result of the work undertaken by Discovery to develop their Welsh language opportunities - which include a Welsh club for staff and students, volunteering opportunities with Tŷ Tawe, a range of drop in volunteering suitable for new and experienced Welsh speakers as well as those curious about the language - Academi Hywel Teifi is now working closely with the charity to expand the Welsh language opportunities available to staff and students. Furthermore, one of the charity's volunteers, Priya Dodiya, received the Coleg Cymraeg Mered Award for 2024 for her work with the charity promoting the opportunities for international students to come into contact with the Welsh language. 

The rights of students to use the Welsh language are promoted at certain times of the year. Firstly, when registering in September, and again on specific days such as Shw' Mae Day, during the Welsh Language Commissioner's 'Use your Welsh' campaign period, St David's Day etc. The information is also shared frequently on the website and Academi Hywel Teifi’s social media accounts.

During the year, a new recruitment video was created for attracting prospective Welsh students which showcased the Welsh experience available to them at Swansea University. The video has received very positive feedback from University staff, students and prospective students, and the in-house team who created it received the Association of Creative and Print Managers in Education's 'Best Internal Digital Design Category' award.

In collaboration with Swansea University's Students' Union, the University's Aelwyd yr Urdd, Aelwyd yr Elyrch, meets regularly to provide opportunities for our Welsh-medium students to develop skills and socialise through the medium of Welsh. The Aelwyd has competed at the Urdd Eisteddfod for the past two years.

In March 2024, Swansea University hosted the 2024 Intercollegiate Eisteddfod of Wales. Hundreds of Welsh language students were welcomed to the Bay Campus for a weekend of sport, stage competitions and socialising through the medium of Welsh. The event was a successful collaboration between Swansea University Students' Union, the GymGym student Welsh society, Aelwyd yr Elyrch and Academi Hywel Teifi.

The Learner Experience

During 2024, Swansea University began work on transforming its curriculum. It is a two-year project and the curriculum modifications will be implemented from September 2025 onwards. However, preparations are already underway and wide-ranging discussions have taken place across the institution to identify the University's priorities – those of its staff, students, and other stakeholders, including employers – for its future curriculum. Alongside this, Swansea Graduate Attributes are being planned as well as a new Education Strategy for 2025-30. Staff at Academi Hywel Teifi and the Faculty's Welsh Leaders have been at the core of these discussions and planning in order to ensure that Welsh, the language itself as well as Welsh-medium academic provision, are included and considered fully. As a result, the curriculum will expand the opportunities to meet the skills and workplace needs of Wales and to introduce all our students to the nation’s history and culture.

The University continues to support students who study elements of their course through the medium of Welsh or who choose to be assessed through Welsh. Working with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, the University continues to develop its Welsh-medium provision across a range of subjects with new provision to be introduced in Business Studies during 2024-25. We also built on the previous year's advances in Paramedic Sciences, Psychology and Education and agreed a new pathway to study Chemistry and Computer Science through the medium of Welsh from 2024-25.

During the past year, the procedures for providing pastoral support to students was modified. We moved from an 'Academic Mentors' regime to a 'Personal Tutors' regime and ensured that students who are Welsh speakers were provided with a Welsh-speaking personal tutor. To support this change, a bilingual support package for personal tutors was created and made available on the University's learning portal. This package provides information to personal tutors and lists relevant contacts to facilitate their access to further information. Resources include information on the Welsh-medium academic provision, the Welsh-medium study skills support available through the Centre for Academic Success, the Welsh employability course for students on Canvas, and the scholarships available to students studying Welsh. The package also includes positive messages about studying through the medium of Welsh, relevant policies and strategies, information on the presentation of work and assessment in Welsh, student rights and the wider Welsh-language opportunities available to students including learning Welsh.

The University has also improved the process for students who wish to submit written work for assessment in Welsh. Faculties were reminded at the beginning of the academic year of the need to promote this right to students, and received information on how the process is now clearer and more straightforward.

Staff and students are offered an annual opportunity to complete the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Welsh Language Skills Certificate. During 2023-24, 9 people completed the certificate including 3 members of staff.

Embedding Welsh across the University

The objectives of this pillar outline how the University will comply with and exceed the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards regulations by improving opportunities to promote the Welsh language across our community and increasing our investment in areas that are key to supporting our ambitions, such as translation.         

New guidance was created during the year regarding the use of Welsh at events and meetings. The guidance includes internal and external events and meetings, as well as best practice relating to the use of simultaneous translation where applicable. The guidance aims to ensure compliance and strengthen the use of Welsh internally.

In the context of academic provision, work was underway at the beginning of Summer 2024 to introduce automatic registration on Welsh-medium modules for fluent Welsh-medium students who would be joining the University for the first time in September 2024. The changes were implemented after having assessed the results of a successful pilot at the School of Law the previous year. The scheme was implemented from September 2024 onwards and work is ongoing during the Winter 2024-25 season to assess its success, impact and next steps. An update on this will be provided to the Welsh Language Commissioner's Office in 2025.

Supporting our research and civic mission

Under the guidance of the Faculty's Welsh leaders, and with the support of Academi Hywel Teifi, a Welsh Research Network was established for the University's postgraduate staff and students. Two events were held during the year to share best practice and to hear more about the work being carried out in Welsh, or relating to Welsh, across the University community.

We continued to support University postgraduate students wishing to undertake research through the medium of Welsh with the benefit of the Coleg Cymraeg Research Scholarships scheme and the Hywel Teifi Memorial Scholarship. There are now 20 students undertaking a PhD through the medium of Welsh at Swansea University across a wide range of subjects, from Medicine to Welsh, and from Geography to Translation.

In March 2024 a Welsh-medium Healthcare Congress was held in conjunction with Swansea Bay University Health Board. This included a variety of presentations about the use of the Welsh language in Healthcare, along with a panel discussion involving the Welsh Language Commissioner, the Executive Director of Nursing and Patient Experience, a GP and the University's Welsh-medium Biomedicine lecturer.

The University once again attended two national Eisteddfods of Wales, sponsoring and curating programmes at the GwyddonLe in the Urdd Eisteddfod, and the Babell Lên at the National Eisteddfod. We continued with the leadership of the Swansea Valley Welsh Centre, Ty'r Gwrhyd, and worked closely with Ty Tawe in Swansea city centre and the two Local Language Initiatives (Mentrau Iaith) in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot.

The University's annual Welsh language newsletter, Arwain, has been published to share the University's stories and developments with the Welsh language community.

The Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer continues to promote the service delivery standards and train staff on the requirements, as well as monitoring Compliance, in a variety of ways: internal e-communication mechanisms, new staff induction sessions, bespoke departmental sessions and specific training. The Officer also works with the student body to ensure that students understand their rights.

When monitoring the compliance of the faculties, the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer maintains a log for each faculty which includes the findings of an annual self-assessment questionnaire, structured or random monitoring by the Policy and Compliance Officer and the content of any feedback or complaints received. The log indicates the broad category (e.g. correspondence) along with a target date for resolution of each issue.

During the year, new internal guidance was created on how to consider the Welsh language when creating research-related resources. The way that Welsh language requirements are considered in the internal process for preparing to apply for external research grants was reviewed. The process now offers more detailed advice about what should be considered in terms of Welsh, what kinds of material should be produced bilingually, and how to go about requesting a translation of any relevant material.

Plans are in place to hold a webinar which will be open to all University staff to explain changes in the University's translation procedures along with the new Use of Welsh at Work Policy.

All new policies and strategies are subject to the University's Equality Impact Assessment ("EqIA") processes. There is a section about Welsh in each EqIA form. Case studies form part of the template to aid the process of fully considering the implications from a Welsh perspective. The University's Equality team works with the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer to analyse draft EqIA forms so that there may be early intervention in the decision-making process, if required. The Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer keeps a record of all assessments that have been carried out.

Through the Director of Academi Hywel Teifi’s membership of the University's Professional Services Leadership Team since Summer 2022, it is now possible to hear earlier about any proposed changes and provide early intervention in any policy modifications.

The following Equality and Welsh Language Impact Assessments were completed during the period in question:

Digital Accessibility Policy

Student Employability Support Scheme

Digital Acceptable Use Policy

Information and Cyber Security Policy

Data and Information Processing Policy

Administrative Access Policy (IT)

Mental Health Policy

Translation of Academic Material Policy

Report and Support Policy

Student Equality Policy

and Student Feedback Policy

During training sessions for new staff and training sessions on the Welsh Language Standards, staff receive information regarding the University's Use of Welsh at Work Policy, and are advised that University staff have certain rights to use the language.

All new employees who indicate, when offered, that they would like a Welsh-medium interview, and current staff members who state when asked that Welsh is their preferred language, will receive an employment agreement in Welsh, as well as individually addressed correspondence relating to their employment.

Staff are able to note their preferred language on the human resources system, ABW, and this record is checked when corresponding with staff. Staff will be informed, through training from the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer and guidance on the staff intranet, how this information can be verified and updated.

All job applicants are asked about their Welsh language skills, and the information provided is fed into the human resources system if the individual is appointed. Members of staff can update their Welsh language skills levels themselves in the human resources system, and are reminded to do this as part of the training provided by the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer and guidance on the University's staff intranet. Staff are also encouraged to update this information as they improve their Welsh language skills.

In the previous year, a Welsh (fluent or intermediate) badge was developed for staff members' Outlook accounts. A badge was sent to all staff who had self-declared as having fluent or intermediate Welsh language skills, and the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer now receives a monthly report showing all new staff, with their language preference and skills. A welcome email is then sent to the new member of staff outlining their Welsh rights, and the Welsh language opportunities available at the University. This includes the dates of any relevant upcoming meetings or events. The Outlook badge is provided, along with guidance on how to upload it. The use of the badge has improved the visibility of Welsh speakers across the University, and staff welcome its use.

TOTAL STAFF 3736 (3821 in 2023)

Administrative staff 1998 (Total 2112 in 2023)

*The option not to say has now been removed from the system

Academic Staff 1701 (Total 1712 in 2023)

Comparison of the percentage of Welsh speakers between the 2022-23 report and the 2023-24 report in terms of Welsh speaking skills:

Administrative staff

 Academic staff      

Swansea University welcomes feedback on any aspect of Welsh at the University. The Welsh Language Complaints Procedure is available on the University's website.

No complaints were received during the period under review.

The Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer offers the following courses free of charge to staff:

• An hour-long "Welsh Language Basics" course introducing the history of the Welsh language, common Welsh words and phrases, and the basics of pronunciation.
• An hour-long course detailing the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards.

During 2023-24, 49 members of staff undertook this course.

During 2023-24, 6 members of staff undertook this course.

• During 2023-24, the format of the University's new staff induction sessions was revised, and the sessions are now half-day welcome events. The Vice-Chancellor presents information on the Welsh language, and a whole session is available in Welsh from the Assistant Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Welsh Language. During 2023-24, 175 members of staff received this introduction to Welsh at the University (English sessions). 2 members of staff had a welcome session through the medium of Welsh.

1. Community courses (mainstream provision):

Beyond the Welsh Language Basics course, the close relationship with Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Region means that they deliver courses at all levels to staff, and in some cases, to students. Below is an outline of the provision available during the period in question.

The following table sets out how many staff completed the community courses per level.

2. Workplace Courses

The following table sets out how many staff completed workplace courses, including courses tailored to specific cohorts of students and departmental staff:

 During 2023-24 Education and Health Improvement Wales had designated that students of Healthcare courses needed to have their Welsh skills assessed.  Therefore a percentage of students were assessed in face-to-face sessions or by email / questionnaire communication. 472 / 527  students' skills (90%) were assessed.

3. Higher Education Work Welsh Scheme courses (September 2023 – March 2024)

The scheme is funded by the National Centre for Learning Welsh, and administered by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in collaboration with Academi Hywel Teifi, delivered by Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Region:

Beyond the official sessions, awareness and language sessions are also held in a less formal manner on demand, and occasional Welsh language social opportunities are held for Welsh-speaking staff at all levels.

When creating a new position or filling a vacancy, an assessment is undertaken of the Welsh language skills required for that position.

Here is an outline of the jobs advertised during the period, along with the Welsh skills levels required:

During the year under review, the University had the opportunity to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to the Welsh language by ensuring compliance with the Welsh Language Standards and promoting the Welsh language in the University and in the wider Community.

During the 2024-25 academic year, the Welsh Language Policy Officer will focus primarily on:

• incorporating the good practice and advice that comes from the Welsh Language Commissioner's Office in terms of policy decisions and co-regulation approaches.
• adapting the methods of identifying the Welsh language skill levels for new posts by introducing the CEFR framework into the process and any other best practice recommended by the Commissioner's Office.
• ensuring that the monitoring processes introduced to faculties can be embedded across professional services units at the University.

During 2024-25 the University will launch the new Welsh language awareness e-module and ensure that as many University staff as possible complete it so that they can understand the University's Welsh language objectives, and their personal responsibilities and opportunities as well.

More information about the University's commitment to the Welsh language can be found on the following page: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/welsh-language-standards/ 

Alternatively, you can contact the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer: welshcompliance@swansea.ac.uk

This report is published in accordance with Standards 166, 172 and 178.