The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 affords the Welsh language official status in Wales. This means it must be treated no less favourably than the English language. It also establishes a legal framework to impose a duty on some organisations to comply with standards of conduct on the Welsh Language.

What are the Welsh Language Standards?

The Standards replace the previous system of Welsh language schemes, introduced by the Welsh Language Act 1993. They are a set of legally binding requirements that aim to:

  • improve the bilingual service that the people of Wales can expect to receive from a number of public and statutory bodies, including universities and colleges
  • explain how organisations are expected to use and promote the Welsh language in different situations
  • make it clear to organisations what their duties are in relation to the Welsh language
  • make it clearer to Welsh speakers about the services they can expect to receive in Welsh
  • make Welsh language services more consistent and improve their quality.

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David is required to comply with the following Standards:

  • Service Delivery
  • Policy Making
  • Operational
  • Record Keeping

 These are listed within the Compliance Notice that the Welsh Language Commissioner presented to the institution at the end of September 2017.

The duties which come from the Standards mean that organisations must not treat the Welsh language less favourably than the English language, together with promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language (making it easier for people to use in their day-to-day lives).

Implementing the Standards within the University of Wales Trinity Saint David

The University seeks to comply with the Standards across all its campuses in Wales in accordance with the expectations outlined in the Compliance Notice; this is described in our Compliance Plan.

Engagement sessions are provided to managers to embed the Standards, to promote learning opportunities and to share best practice and ideas.

A dedicated page on our intranet provides guidelines and resources to support staff in implementing the Standards and increase use of the Welsh language across the University.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor is the designated lead officer with responsibility for ensuring that the University is fully compliant with the Standards across the relevant campuses.