A British university has given students trigger warnings for chocolate, smoking and anger in recent lectures. A student has described the situation as a “farce” and questioned whether one of her colleagues would stop a lecture without the warnings.
Students at the University of Roehampton, in South West London, are shown a “content warning” slide before a lecture begins. In a recent class, they were warned that the lecture would make reference to “smoking, passive smoking”, “sexual organs”, “anger”, “quality of parent-child relationships” and “chocolate addiction”.
As reported by the The Telegraph, second-year psychology student Octavia Evans said: “Yes, you read the last one correctly. As a long-suffering chocoholic, I appreciate my lecturers’ concern for my sanity (and waistline), but come on!
“It made me wonder: had a student actually objected – a voice crying out that discussion of chocolate addiction is too much to endure – would the lecture have been stopped?
“Or would the university gently remind us that, while it is committed to wellbeing and inclusivity, the material is nonetheless essential? I fear the former.”
She added that other warnings include “reports of friends having mental health difficulties” or material that “might relate to issues you have experienced or about which you hold strong views”. Meanwhile, one seminar on culture cautioned that “some of the views might be ones that you disagree with”.
Last year, Roehampton ranked 92nd in a “woke” university ranking list by Civitas. The university previously had a section on its website that insisted it was committed to creating a “truly inclusive” environment, where everyones feels “valued”.
A University of Roehampton spokesman said: “The University of Roehampton is committed to an inclusive working and learning environment. As a matter of good practice, students are provided with advance information about course content.”