Welsh Language Standards Report 2024-2025

This Annual Report refers to the period from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025 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 that it complies with the Language Standards. The report also highlights some specific achievements and outlines development objectives for 2025-26. A copy of Swansea University's Compliance Notice can be viewed here.

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

• Launch of a language awareness e-module for all University staff – the aim of the e-module, 'Cymru, Cymraeg and Swansea University', is to promote the Welsh language, explaining the implications of Welsh Language Standards for University staff as well as outlining the opportunities for staff to learn and use Welsh, and to understand how the University supports students to use their Welsh when studying and socialising. The module also includes a general introduction to Wales and the Welsh language. The module is compulsory for all University staff, and 21% (723) of University staff have now completed it.
• Consideration of changes to the monitoring process as a result of new internal structures – the monitoring process was reviewed in response to structural changes. All of the University's administrative functions are now centralised in core professional services, and therefore these services are now the main focus of monitoring.
• Advising and supporting the development of the University's new student records system.
• Advising and planning for a new student services 'HWB' – Academi Hywel Teifi staff were had input in the planning process, including ensuring face-to-face and online Welsh language services, choosing Welsh branding, and marketing the service and communicating the changes to students bilingually.
• Welsh student representatives – during the year, following a pilot scheme funded by Academi Hywel Teifi in 2023-24, a Welsh-medium student representative scheme was launched, to ensure that students studying through the medium of Welsh are supported and that their voices are heard within their faculties and across the University more widely. During the year, there were Welsh representatives in the School of Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, General and Mechanical Engineering, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Psychology, the School of Social Sciences and the School of Law.
• New opportunities for University staff who speak/learn Welsh – a Welsh language choir was offered to University staff in collaboration with Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Area.

Academi Hywel Teifi has the following three units:

• Academic, Cultural and Creative Provision Unit – comprising the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and Tŷ'r Gwrhyd, the Welsh Language Centre for Cwm Tawe
• Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Area – a course provider for the National Centre for Learning Welsh
• The Translation and Language Compliance Unit – made up of 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 2022-27 are progressed, as well as the development of Welsh-medium education at the University. The Committee, which meets monthly, is chaired by the Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Welsh Language, Professor Gwenno Ffrancon, Director of Academi Hywel Teifi. Members of the committee include the heads of the three Academi Hywel Teifi units above, as well as the Welsh Language Leaders for the three faculties, the Welsh Language Strategy Project Officer, the Head of the IT Helpdesk, the Operations Manager of Taliesin Arts Centre and the Student Union’s Welsh Affairs 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 at the University.

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

Carys Dukes was Swansea University Students' Union's full-time Welsh Affairs Officer for 2024-25. She chaired termly forums for Welsh-medium students as part of her role at the Union but also in her capacity as chair of the Student Forum of the Swansea Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. In July 2024, Tanwen Moon took over the role for 2025-26. Carys Dukes will step into the role of Union President for 2025-26, ensuring strong Welsh language representation in the Students' Union.

Now, all faculties have a Welsh Language Leader and most of our academic schools have a Welsh Language Co-ordinator. Welsh Language Leaders are responsible for co-ordinating the faculty's Welsh-medium academic provision and leading developments and growth as well as having an overview of the implementation of Welsh Language Standards in the context of student experience within the faculty.

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 the 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 in relation to the four pillars:

The 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.

During the year the new compulsory language awareness module for staff was launched. The feedback has been positive, with many staff stating that they found the information about the history of the Welsh language interesting, and the information about the Welsh language at the University, which includes the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards, as useful.

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

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

In collaboration with Swansea University's Students' Union, the ‘Aelwyd yr Urdd’ for the University's students, Aelwyd yr Elyrch, meets regularly to provide opportunities for our Welsh-medium students to socialise and develop skills. Under the guidance of the Aelwyd Officer, Emily Evans, a Coleg Cymraeg sponsored PhD student and one of the Coleg's postgraduate ambassadors, Aelwyd yr Elyrch has grown and developed. There was keen competition on the doorstep at this year's Margam Park’s ‘Dur a Môr’ Eisteddfod and they won their first medals in the Under-25 Recitation Group and the Cerdd Dant Duet for ages 19-25.

In March 2025, the University’s students competed at the Intercollegiate Eisteddfod in Aberystwyth.

Learner Experience

During the year, a new Global Lounge was opened in the main building on Singleton Campus, Fulton House. The purpose of the Global Lounge is to provide a vibrant space to bring students together, celebrate diversity, and create a welcoming community for all. It is now a meeting place for local and international students, offering a variety of activities, events and opportunities to come together. Efforts were made to ensure a prominent place for the Welsh language in branding and decor, and there will be opportunities to hold Welsh language activities for students in the Lounge.

During 2024-25, the University’s Curriculum Transformation project has continued. It is a two-year project with the curriculum adjustments to be implemented from September 2025 onwards. The documentation relating to the amendments to degree programmes across disciplines requires an outline of the Welsh language provision available on each individual programme and specific information regarding what is being done to support Welsh speaking students. It is hoped that the curriculum will expand the opportunities to receive Welsh-medium education across programmes, while also meeting the skills needs and bilingual workplaces of Wales.

Along with this, Swansea Graduate Attributes have been developed, and a new Education Strategy for 2025-30. Academi Hywel Teifi staff, the Welsh Leaders from the faculties and the Students' Union's Welsh Affairs Officer have been at the heart of these discussions and planning processes, to ensure that the Welsh language, the language itself as a subject and the Welsh-medium academic provision, receive worthy consideration and inclusion.

The University continues to support students who are studying elements of their course through the medium of Welsh or who choose to be assessed through Welsh. Working with the Coleg Cymraeg, the University is continuing to develop its Welsh-medium provision across subjects with new provision being introduced in Business Studies during 2024-25. We also built on the advances seen in the previous year in Paramedic Science, Psychology and Education and agreed on a new pathway to study through the medium of Welsh in Physician Associate Studies and Computer Science for 2024-25 onwards. Work is underway to introduce new Welsh-medium provision for 2025-26 in the areas of Occupational Therapy and Pharmacy.

Staff and students are offered an annual opportunity to complete the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol's Language Skills Certificate. During 2024-25, 6 people completed the certificate, consisting of 4 students and 2 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 simultaneous translation for meetings and events, with the aim of increasing the use of Welsh at these.

In the context of the University's Professional Services, which have undergone a series of changes through a transformational programme over an 18 month period, discussions were held between the Director of Academi Hywel Teifi and the Head of each unit about the impact of their plans on the Welsh language within the institution. The aim was to preserve the service already being offered but also to look at positive opportunities to make further developments or to find more efficient ways of offering a bilingual service.

In terms of educational provision, work was underway at the beginning of Summer 2024 to introduce a default enrolment procedure on Welsh-medium core modules for fluent Welsh students (who are following courses that receive subject grants from the Coleg Cymraeg) who would be joining the University for the first time in September 2024. The procedure was introduced after having assessed the outcomes of a successful pilot at the Law School the previous year. The scheme was implemented (manually) in September 2024 and by Summer 2025 it was found to have had a positive impact on the numbers of students studying at least 5 credits of their degree course through the medium of Welsh with a 20.5% increase in numbers between 2023-24 and 24-25. The Welsh Language and Culture Strategy Committee (PSIG), the University's Regulations, Quality and Standards Board and the University's Education Committee (UEC) have approved the default enrolment process for all courses offering Welsh-medium/bilingual compulsory elements from 2025 onwards. This is now a policy within the University's General Undergraduate Regulations. The process was recognised as laborious in its original format, and work is underway to turn the task into an automated one as the University introduces the new SITS2 student enrolment system for 2025-26. A further update will be provided in the 2025-2026 report.

Another recent development is the appointment of Welsh Language Co-ordinators within faculty schools in order to assist the Faculty Welsh Language Leaders to drive positive changes and developments relating to the Welsh language and its users. Alongside this, Welsh student representatives are also set to be appointed by the Students' Union to ensure that there are advocates on behalf of our Welsh-medium students within our teaching and learning structures. Further information on this will be provided in the 2026 report.

Supporting our civic research and mission

Once again, the University attended the two national Eisteddfods of Wales, sponsoring and curating the programmes of the GwyddonLe at the Urdd Eisteddfid and the Literature Tent at the National Eisteddfod. We continued to manage the Swansea Valley Welsh Language Centre, Tŷ'r Gwrhyd, and worked closely with Tŷ Tawe in Swansea city centre and the two Mentrau Iaith (local language initiatives) in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot.

A poetry course, Creu ar Gynghanedd, is offered to the public in Tŷ’r Gwrhyd. The classes are held fortnightly over 10 sessions of 2 hours for advanced learners and fluent speakers. The course is an opportunity to master the art of cynghanedd and create poems in different measures under the guidance of the bard Robat Powell.

The latest version of the University's annual Welsh language newsletter, Arwain was published, to share the University's news 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: messages on the staff intranet dashboard, a new online awareness module, departmental questionnaires, bespoke workshops and specific training. The Officer also works with the student body to ensure that students understand their rights.

All new policies and strategies are subject to the University's Equality Impact Assessment ("EqIA") processes. There is a section about the Welsh language 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.

As a result of 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 under review:

Timetabling Policy

Travel and Expenses Policy

Software Management Platform

Guidance on the Employment of Research Students

Default Registration Policy for Welsh-medium Modules

During training sessions for new staff and in the new online awareness module, staff are referred to the Policy on the Use of Welsh at Work, so that they understand that University staff have specific rights relating to the Welsh language.

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

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

All job applicants will be asked about their Welsh language skills, and the information provided will be fed into the human resources system if the individual is appointed. Staff members can update their Welsh language skills through a self-service approach in the human resources system, and are reminded to do so as part of the training provided by the Welsh Language Policy Officer and on the University staff intranet. Staff are also encouraged to reconsider this information as they improve their Welsh language skills.

The Policy and Compliance Officer receives a monthly report showing each new member of staff, with their language preference and language skills. A word of welcome is sent in Welsh to the new member of staff outlining their Welsh language rights, and the Welsh language opportunities available at the University. This includes the dates of any upcoming relevant meetings or events. An Outlook badge will be attached which shows if the member of staff is a fluent/intermediate Welsh speaker (on a self-declaration basis), along with instructions on how to upload it to their Outlook profile. The use of the badge when e-mailing has improved the visibility of Welsh speakers across the University, and the use of it is welcomed by staff. 

TOTAL STAFF 3536 (3736 in 2024)

Administrative staff 1884 ( 1998 total in 2024)

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

Academic Staff 1652 (Total 1701 in 2024)

Change in the percentage of staff Welsh skills between the 2023-24 report and the 2024-25 report based on Welsh speaking skills  :

Administrative staff

Academic staff     

• Data relates to headcounts of staff (rather than full time equivalent) and includes both core and externally funded staff
• Data is taken at a point in time (31^st July 2025), and therefore includes a number of staff who were in the process of leaving the University on voluntary severance terms (but were technically still employed on the 31^st July 2025)
• Academic staff data includes all academic staff, researchers and tutors

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

No complaints were received during the period under review.

In addition to the new awareness module which has been completed by 21% of staff to date, the Welsh Language Policy and Compliance Officer offers University staff an hour-long "Welsh language basics" course that introduces common Welsh words and phrases as well as pronunciation. During 2024-25, 33 members of staff completed this course.

Beyond the Welsh Language Basics course, as a result of the close relationship with Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Area a range of courses is offered at all levels to staff, and in some cases to students. An outline of the provision available during the period under consideration is given below.

1. Courses in the Workplace

The following course was provided for staff:

The following courses were provided for students:

For 2024-25 Health Education and Improvement Wales had indicated that students on Healthcare courses need to undergo an assessment of their Welsh language skills.  So, initially, the students were assessed by using a questionnaire, followed by a more detailed assessment with fluent students face-to-face or through an online assessment.

481 completed the initial questionnaire with 446 (96%) completing the full assessment.

In 24/25, a Welsh session was held specifically for students studying the BSc Healthcare Scientist course, where the students watched a consultation between a clinician and a patient in Welsh. Once they had seen how much of it they understood the students were then offered to stay and register for Welsh lessons from Dysgu Cymraeg, with the first session taking place on the spot. Discussions have begun between our Learn Welsh tutor and HEIW regarding the development of a digital Welsh language assessment that can be incorporated into the official portfolio of students studying a course that has been commissioned by HEI.

2. Higher Education Work Welsh Scheme Courses

The scheme is funded by the National Centre for Learning Welsh, and is administered by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in association with Academi Hywel Teifi, with Learn Welsh Swansea Bay Area delivering courses as follows:

The aim of the courses is to support academic, or academic-affiliated staff to develop Welsh language skills that they can apply within an educational context.

Beyond the official sessions, awareness and language sessions are also held in an informal manner as required, and social sessions in Welsh are held from time to time for Welsh speaking staff at all levels.

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

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

During the year in question, the University had the opportunity to demonstrate its continued commitment to the Welsh language by ensuring compliance with the Welsh Language Standards and promoting the Welsh language at the University and in the wider community.

During 2025-26, the Welsh Language Policy Officer will focus primarily on:

• incorporating best practice and advice from the Commissioner's Office in relation to policy decisions and co-regulatory approaches.
• revising the procedure for recognising Welsh language skills levels for new posts by introducing the CEFR framework to the process and any other good practice advised by the Commissioner's Office.
• continue to advise and support the University's professional services as they introduce the modifications to their service structures and processes and ensure that the rights of Welsh speakers are fully considered.

Further information on 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 or n.e.besley@swansea.ac.uk

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