If you have received an allegation that you have broken one of the University or College’s Code of Conducts, policies or regulations then we can support you. The processes differ depending on whether the allegation was made to your college or the University, but the principles remain the same across them all.
Generally, you will be made aware that a report has been made and given an opportunity to respond to it, most likely in a meeting with the opportunity to give further information via email. The investigator will then generally consider the evidence put forward by you and the person who has reported you, and coming to a decision on the balance of probabilities as to whether the reported incident(s) happened or not. If they find an incident was more likely than not to have happened, then either a penalty will be applied or it taken to a panel.
This is an approximate guide, and we’d recommend familiarising yourself with the specific process you are being considered under to understand potential timescales and what is expected from you.
Find a policy
Here’s our general guidance on how to respond.
Access Support
We know that disciplinaries can be stressful and difficult, so we recommend you reach out for support. We can help you:
- - Navigate the process and talk through the allegations to prepare you for the panel
- - Look through the evidence with you and see where you can provide evidence to support your case
- - Help you consider the questions that you might be asked by the panel members and what the likely outcomes might be
- - Attend formal/informal meetings with you (subject to availability). Although we can’t speak on your behalf, we can ensure that procedure is being followed, support you in the panel, and remind you of the things you might wish to say.
If you’ve been reported (formally or informally) for sexual misconduct or relationship abuse then we highly recommend you contact the Reported Student Support Service who can provide you confidential, practical and emotional support.
Know your rights
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)’s good practice framework set out what students should expect from a disciplinary process, this includes:
- - Being told in writing at the beginning of the process about the allegations against you and how your behaviour is considered to have breached expected standards
- - Being given any available supporting evidence
- - Being investigated by someone who has not been involved in making the allegation against you
- - Being given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the allegation and supporting evidence before a decision is made about whether you have committed to the offence
- - If the University/college brings additional or alternative allegations against you during the process you should be told about the new/amended allegations and offered the opportunity to respond
- - Be given a written outcome setting out the decision reached including a right to appeal
- - Ensuring that reasonable steps have been taken to treat each student fairly
If you feel these have not been met, then we’d recommend referring explicitly to the Good Practice Framework when you politely challenge the collegiate University on the matter.
Reflect on the allegations
We know it can be daunting when you receive an allegation relating to your behaviour. We recommend you reflect on the allegations and evidence that has been presented to you to consider whether you feel you may have breached the Code of Conduct; whether intentionally or not. If you feel you have, then being open and honest about this at the earliest opportunity is helpful. This should be taken into consider when considering the penalty.
If you have a different recollection of the same incident, then you can respectfully put forward your recollection including where appropriate giving an explanation of the verbal and non-verbal indicators which showed you believed there was consent. You may wish to consider re-taking the online Consent for Students training to strengthen your understanding of consent to help you identify any further points for reflection.
If you agree with the facts of the case, but do not believe the behaviour you exhibited was against the Code of Conduct, then you should focus on referring expressly to the Code of Conduct and how you feel you did meet the required standards of behaviour.
If you were experiencing difficult personal circumstances at the time of the incident that led to the behaviour, then you should let the University/college know about this and provide evidence of them. It will be highly unlikely to impact whether the allegation is upheld, but, may be relevant in determining the appropriate penalty.
It might be that the outcome of your University level complaint is for it to be considered by the Student Disciplinary Panel. You can find advice about this here:
Student Disciplinary Panel