Current incidents
Last updated 18 December 2025.
Planned building closures and power outage
On the evening of Monday 22 December, a number of buildings on the University’s central campus will be closed, including to anyone who usually has out-of-hours access. This is a precaution during critical maintenance work by Northern Power Grid to one of their substations, meaning the power supply to some of our buildings will be switched off.
The affected buildings include:
- Alfred Denny
- Arts Tower ( car park barriers closing at 10.45pm)
- Chemistry
- Firth Court complex
- Geography
- Hicks (including Hicks Cycle Hub)
- Information Commons (IC) (closing at 10pm)
- Octagon
- Students’ Union
- University House
Throughout this activity, the University’s back-up generators will be in operation to provide power to critical research and equipment.
We anticipate that all affected buildings will be open as normal on Tuesday 23 December.
Israel, Gaza, Iran and the Middle East conflict
Protests on campus
We respect the right of our students to protest peacefully and within the law.
While we encourage and support the right to freedom of speech, this is never an excuse for bullying, harassment, discrimination, or any other act prohibited by law, and the University will not tolerate any instances of such behaviour. Guidance for students who want to protest at the University of Sheffield can be found here (internal link).
If you experience or witness any incidents, please report them straight away. You can do so via Report and Support, either anonymously or using your name.
You can also report an incident on the SafeZone app.
Alternatively, you can contact Security Services directly:
- via email: security@sheffield.ac.uk
- via phone: 0114 222 4085 (non-emergency number)
Safety and security on campus
We continue to work closely with the police and security advisers to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community of staff and students.
We keep our procedures and practices under continual review in the light of local and national guidance.
While we have not been advised of any further security measures at this time, we will be closely consulting with relevant bodies and preparing in readiness for any further actions that may be needed.
We will also continue to work closely with our Students’ Union, multi-faith chaplaincy and other groups who share our common and unwavering commitment to the values of community cohesion, tolerance and respect.
RUN HIDE TELL
In the unlikely event of a safety threat, such as a terrorist attack, remember to RUN HIDE TELL.
Whilst there are no specific threats to the University, the UK’s national threat level is 'substantial'. It is important to be prepared and know how to protect yourself if the need arises.
Student online support - hate crime
Guidance and information for students on what hate crime is and how to report it.