Student Conduct Procedure

As a Cardiff University student, you are expected to behave as a representative of Cardiff University at all times. This is particularly important when you are engaging in activities directly linked to the University or Students’ Union, such as fieldwork or sports or society events.

It is important to be aware of what the University expects of you in terms of conduct because, if your behaviour is deemed to breach requirements, you could be investigated under the Student Conduct Procedure.

Rules of Behaviour

The Student Conduct Procedure states that you must:

• Be a representative of the University and act accordingly.
• Comply with all other University procedures relating to conduct including IT, Library, and Finance Regulations.
• Treat other people with dignity and respect:
• Recognise the diversity of the Cardiff community and not discriminate against others on the basis of their age, ethnic origin, race, nationality, membership of a national minority, culture, language, religious faith or affiliation or lack thereof, political affiliation or opinions or lack thereof, sex, gender, gender identity, sexuality, sexual orientation, marital status, caring or parental responsibilities, illness, ability or disability, mental health status, medical condition, physical appearance, genetic features, parentage, descent, full or part-time student status, socio-economic background, employment status, trade union affiliation, spent or irrelevant criminal convictions, or any other irrelevant distinction.
• Act responsibly, and be honest, considerate, respectful, and courteous towards others, respecting the safety and wellbeing of others on or off University premises.
• Behave in a respectful manner towards others so that they do not feel that they are being harassed or bullied.
• Behave in such a way as to ensure you do not disrupt University activities or obstruct any student, member of staff, or visitor of the University in the performance of their study or work.
• Ensure that you do not publish comments or images on websites or social media that might cause distress or offence to another person.
• Respect other people’s right to enjoyment of their property, including that of the University and the Students’ Union, or use of a public space.
• Act in accordance with the University’s regulations and policies, which you agree to at each registration as a student with the University, and which, where relevant, satisfy the requirements of the Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body associated with your programme.
• Comply with any reasonable request to meet with a member of University or Students’ Union staff when the request is related to University or Students' Union business.
• Provide accurate information at enrolment and when making financial payments.
• Provide accurate information to the University or Students’ Union staff when requested.
• Carry your student card with you at all times and not allow another person to use it.
• Ensure you do not share or publish academic material related to your learning and teaching without permission of the University: you should not share or publish, via social networking sites, file-share programmes, or any other means, any material that is provided for the purposes of your learning without the written consent of the academic member of staff who produced or presented that material. Please note that this does not preclude sharing material with fellow students of the University within the normal parameters of an academic programme.
• Avoid conduct which could amount to a criminal offence.
• Report to the Student Cases team any serious offences which lead to police investigation, caution, conviction, or charge related to a relevant offence. The report should be made within 14 days.
• Observe the principles and practice of Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and academic freedom.
• Use appropriate University procedures to raise issues formally.

Raising a concern about another student

If you are a Cardiff University student and would like to raise concerns about the conduct of another student, you will need to do so under the Student Complaint Procedure. Further advice on raising concern about another student is available here.

Concerns raised about your conduct

When an allegation is made, or a concern raised, about your behaviour that is deemed as requiring investigation, the Head of Student Cases will appoint an independent Investigating Office to consider the case. The Investigating Officer will look at any documentation submitted to the University and may choose to interview you, other students and any witnesses where appropriate.

If you are interviewed, you should receive a minimum of 7 days’ notice of the meeting and you are entitled to be accompanied. Student Advice can help to prepare you for the meeting and attend with you.

During the meeting, you should be fully informed of the allegations or concerns about you and be given an opportunity to respond and provide any evidence in support of your case. A written record of this meeting should be sent to you afterwards and you should be given 7 days to confirm that the record is accurate, or raise any issues with it. We also normally advise that you submit a written statement at this stage but an Adviser can discuss this further when you get the written record.

When the investigation is complete, the Investigating Officer will submit their report to the Head of Student Cases, who can

• Decide that no further action is required;
• Decide that it is a minor concern and invite you to a disciplinary meeting;
• Decide that it is a major concern and refer your case to a Student Conduct Panel.

The Head of Student Cases should write to you with their decision within 14 days of receiving the investigation report.

Minor concerns

Where the concern is deemed minor, you will be invited to a disciplinary meeting with the Head of Student Cases. You should be given a minimum of 7 days’ notice and be informed of your right to be accompanied. This meeting is not a formal hearing but is your opportunity to respond to the concern and provide details of any mitigation.

It is important to prepare properly for this meeting and Student Advice can help you with that. Please contact Student Advice with as much notice of the meeting as possible and try to obtain independent evidence of any mitigating circumstances you intend to rely on.

The Head of Student Cases can consider your case in your absence if you do not attend.

Following the meeting, the Head of Student Cases can impose 1 or more of the following:

• No further action,
• An offer of mediation or a restorative remedy to those who raised the complaint and the student(s) investigated,
• An informal warning,
• A formal warning to remain on your record for a specified time,
• A written apology to a specified person or group,
• A written reflection on the offence and its impact on the University community,
• Required attendance at an educative workshop funded by you,
• Payment for any identified damage to property or belongings,
• A conduct agreement which if broken will result in referral to a Student Conduct Panel.

You will be informed of the outcome within 7 days of the meeting. If you feel the process was not followed or that the outcome was not reasonable, you can request a review under the University Review Procedure.

Major concerns

If it is deemed a major concern, you will be invited to attend a Student Conduct Panel. The Student Conduct Panel should usually meet within 28 days of the decision to refer. The panel will consist of:

• A Senior Manager as Chair (a Head of School, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dean, or Professional Services Director/Head);
• A member of University staff;
• An elected officer of the Students' Union.

At least 14 days before the panel, a member of the Student Cases team will inform you of:

• The details of the concern or allegation,
• The evidence that will be presented to and considered by the panel,
• The date, time and venue of the panel meeting,
• Your right to be supported or represented at the panel,
• Your right to have the panel conducted in English or Welsh.

You must normally confirm your attendance and the name of anyone else who will accompany you to the hearing and submit any evidence or information you would like the panel to consider at least 7 days before the panel date. A Student Adviser can advise and support you through this process. If your case is referred to a Student Conduct Panel, please let Student Advice know as soon as possible so that we can help you to prepare fully.

At the Student Conduct Panel

• All parties will have access to all the papers for the panel meeting prior to the meeting taking place;
• The Investigating Officer will present the facts of the case against the student, calling witnesses as appropriate;
• You or your representative will then be invited to present a response, and call witnesses as you deem appropriate. You may present any mitigating factors which you wish to bring to the attention of the panel;
• Where witnesses are called by either party, they will be invited to give evidence on the facts to which they are witness;
• All parties will be given the opportunity to raise any questions on the facts or on statements made by witnesses at appropriate times throughout the meeting. All questions will be directed to the Chair of the panel.
• Once all evidence has been presented and all questions asked, the Investigating Officer will be invited to sum up their case;
• At the end of the meeting, you or your representative will be given an opportunity to sum up your case.

Both parties will then withdraw from the meeting for the panel to consider the case. The panel should consider all the evidence to determine whether or not, on the balance of probabilities, the concerns/allegations are proven. If they are, the panel will decide on a sanction. When deciding on a sanction the panel should consider the proportionality of the sanction imposed and any mitigating factors. The sanctions available are:

• Any of the minor concern outcomes listed above;
• Restricted access to University or Students’ Union premises or facilities, with the extent and duration of the restriction to be specified;
• Temporary exclusion from the University, for a specified period;
• Permanent exclusion from the University.

Suspension

In cases where there are concerns for the safety of you, another student of the University community, the Academic Registrar will carry out a risk assessment and may suspend you. This is not supposed to be a penalty but a precautionary measure taken to avoid the risk of harm.

Any restrictions imposed on you will be communicated to you within 7 days of the decision being made. You should be fully informed of the reasons for this decision and it should be reviewed every 60 days, or if any new relevant information becomes available.

Exclusion

The Vice-Chancellor has the power to exclude immediately and permanently where it necessary to do so based on all the information available at the time. This includes where the University has grounds to believe that you have obtained a place on the basis of false, incorrect or misleading information. You will be informed of the exclusion within 7 days of the decision.

Review

You can request a review of a decision made under the Student Conduct Procedure through the University Review Procedure.

Contact Student Advice

Advice@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410