The SU is committed to empowering students to understand their rights and advocate for themselves. Similar campaigns at other universities inspired the Know Your Rights (KYR) campaign, but covering a broader range of areas where it's important for students to be educated in both their rights and university policy. This campaign was created and run by students, for students, created and written by the campaign assistants and led by the VP Welfare and Campaigns.
In the current political climate, where the cost-of-living crisis and increasing securitisation of campuses have disproportionately affected students, institutions such as the SU need to advocate for and support students. The KYR booklet was created in collaboration with the SU Advice Centre, who offer confidential, impartial free advice to all University of Warwick students.
From this campaign, we have created the booklet to collate important information on a variety of areas which we identified as essential for students to be aware of their rights. The Know Your Rights booklet is split up into 5 sections: Housing, Health, Student, Employment and Equality.
This section is split into off-campus and on-campus accommodation. On-campus accommodation is owned and managed by the university, meaning that housing issues are processed and managed differently from privately owned housing. Off-campus accommodation is further split into privately rented accommodation and purpose-built accommodation, i.e. student accommodation. This is especially important with the new Renters Rights Act 2026, where many changes have come into effect and will continue to over the next few years.
Health rights encompass a wide area, from wellbeing and taking care of your mental health to advocating for yourself at the GP and dealing with chronic illnesses. The Wellbeing services at the university are available online and in-person on the ground floor of Senate House.
Student rights contain financial, academic and university policy advice. Managing finances at university can be difficult, especially when dealing with Student Finance England. Academic rights include knowing when you're eligible for mitigating circumstances and how to approach academic misconduct allegations. The Advice Centre is available to help with these situations and any applications and appeals.
Many students will have part-time or temporary jobs whilst at university. Here we have collated all the information you need to ensure you're working in a safe environment.
Universities should be inclusive spaces where all students can access education fairly, regardless of background or circumstances. This includes Widening Participation students, international students, disabled students and free speech vs hate speech.
Download the full Know Your Rights booklet below:
Know Your Rights Booklet