The Regulation on Student Discipline lays down that "students shall maintain a standard of conduct which is not harmful to the work, good order or good name of the University". According to the Regulation, University members and employees should, as far as possible, try to prevent any breach of University discipline and are asked to report any such breach to the Registrar and Secretary.

Notes on the Student Disciplinary Procedures

The following notes outline the student disciplinary procedures and give guidance on how you should act in relation to any alleged breaches of discipline.

(1) Victims of disciplinary breaches, who contact you for advice, should be urged to report offences in writing to the Registrar and Secretary.

(2) Complaints submitted to the Registrar and Secretary are normally referred directly to the Discipline Committee via its Chair.

(3) The Student Discipline Committee considers reports on alleged breaches of discipline and decides whether or not disciplinary proceedings under the Regulation should be instigated.

(4) Where the Committee considers that a breach of discipline does not justify a hearing of a Student Disciplinary Panel, the matter is usually referred by the Chair to the Head of School or Service (or nominee) for action; the Head of School (or nominee) may refer a case back to the Chair if, after initial investigation, he or she considers the breach to be of a more serious nature. The Chair may also take action on behalf of the Committee in order to speed up disciplinary proceedings and to ensure that reported breaches of discipline are dealt with as quickly as possible.

(5) Breaches of discipline considered by the Committee to be more serious are referred to a Student Disciplinary Panel. The offence is investigated on behalf of the Committee by a nominee of the Registrar and Secretary. The evidence is then sent to the student and to the Panel members. It is the role of the Student Disciplinary Panel to decide whether the student is guilty of the alleged breach and, if so, to determine an appropriate penalty.

(6) When a case is referred by the Student Discipline Committee to a Student Disciplinary Panel, the person who is complained against is summoned to appear at a hearing of the Panel to answer charges referred against him/her. Such students are not offered the services of a University Officer to defend them. However, because of the serious nature of disciplinary proceedings, they are advised to discuss the matter with a Student Life Advisor, Director of Student Experience or the Students' Union Advice and Representation service. They may be accompanied (or represented) by one other person at the hearing.

In summary, we want to ensure that the University is a pleasant environment in which to live and work. It is in everybody's interests that students who are alleged to have committed breaches of discipline are dealt with through the disciplinary process referred to above. Please encourage victims of disciplinary offences to use the Student Discipline process. It is there to help them.

When the Student Discipline Process Applies

It may be helpful to clarify certain circumstances in which the University's Discipline Process does and does not apply:

(1) Where an offence by a tenant in University-managed property breaches the terms of the tenancy agreement and the University exercises its landlord's powers (e.g. to evict the tenant), that does not exempt the student concerned from action under the Discipline process, nor does it imply that he/she will receive a reduced penalty from the Student Disciplinary Panel. Although this may appear at first sight to be double jeopardy, a single act by the student has breached two separate 'contracts': the tenancy (the agreement with the University as landlord) and the Regulations (the rules for living in the University community).

(2) With the exception of field trips which are regarded as forming part of normal University activity, offences by students not in the University or its property, on the other hand, are not normally the business of the University unless they are harmful to its good name (i.e. they clearly affect its reputation), or are of a nature which suggests that the student concerned might be harmful to themself or other members of the University community.

Criminal Matters

In dealing with student disciplinary matters, the University's established policy is:

(1) All criminal matters of which the University becomes aware are reported to the Police.

(2) The University will not take internal disciplinary action in a criminal matter where the complainant is unwilling to press criminal charges.

(3) Under the University's Regulations on Student Discipline, criminal proceedings do not preclude the University from instituting its own disciplinary proceedings against a student. To avoid prejudice, the University normally does not progress disciplinary proceedings until the criminal processes are complete.

(4) The University cannot take action without a formal complaint.

Conclusion

Further details may be found in Regulation 2 on Student Discipline in the University's Regulations, the procedural document about Discipline Panels [PDF 17.90KB], or, if you require advice on a particular aspect of student discipline, please contact the Secretary to the Student Discipline Committee, Ms Sarah Roberts (Ext. 8208, Email Sarah.Roberts@sussex.ac.uk).