Previous Education Secretary James Cleverly is of a mixed opinion regarding content notes, suggesting that it is important that universities "don’t airbrush history" when speaking to the LBC and how “universities have understandably got a duty to protect the mental health of their students.” However, he also added, “they've also got a duty to help them challenge themselves, to help them understand the world as it is, perhaps not just the world as we would like it to be”.
Meanwhile, Liz Truss told The Times that "universities should not be mollycoddling students like this. It patronises them and it is not good for wider public debate. Real life doesn’t come with a content warning- we can’t protect people from difficult ideas for their whole lives, nor should we try to”.
However, what the media tends to leave out is that university reading lists are partly shaped by module feedback from students and changes are made accordingly. Therefore, if students believe that a text is too triggering, then that is up to the university to make a change. For example, the University of Sussex has withdrawn August Strindberg’s play, Miss Julie, from an undergraduate Literature module as a result of students complaining about the potential ‘psychological’ and ‘emotional effects’ of the material depicting suicide. What are universities supposed to do in situations such as those other than removing the text?
Speaking to Newcastle Universities Senior Lecturer and Director of Education for SELLL Dr Stacy Gillis, we discussed the purpose of content notes. She uses content notes as a way “to create a space in seminars where students feel comfortable discussing such topics as well as co-creating with students a shared code of practice when discussing challenging material”. Using the example of Jane Eyre and Rochester’s abuse she discussed how “it’s not that students don’t study the text, its simply about acknowledging that these difficult topics are part of the text, and part of the discussions we will have about the text”.
When speaking to Jo Robinson, Head of the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University about content notes she believes that “as has always been the case, we introduce learning and teaching materials carefully and appropriately for all of our students. This may include the provision of information about the content of modules where relevant. Our aim always is to create a community in which all students feel comfortable and supported, able to speak and be heard while also being able to engage with the full richness of materials and themes that we encounter through our studies of English Literature/Literatures in English, Language and Linguistics and Creative Writing".
Content notes are there to prepare students for the material ahead and if they need to take appropriate action or prepare themselves to make that material palatable
So, are universities going too far with trigger warnings and content notes? I believe not. Whilst a lot of content on modules across Newcastle University is accompanied by a content note, that does not mean the students do not study the material. Content notes are there to prepare students for the material ahead and if they need to take appropriate action or prepare themselves to make that material palatable, then they can do so in advance. Moreso, who are the media to decide what is appropriate for students to study and what isn’t? No one can anticipate what a person’s triggers are nor should they try to.