Residence Life led resolutions

Overview

If you choose to disclose an incident of harassment or sexual misconduct, you'll be listened to, supported and made aware of the options available to you. 

Disclosing an incident doesn’t mean that you have to decide to take forward a report – your decision to report or not will be respected. If you choose not to report, you can change your mind and bring forward a report at a later date. 

If you make a disclosure of harassment or sexual misconduct that took place in, or is linked to, University accommodation our Accommodation and Commercial Services team will review your disclosure. They’ll make contact with you to discuss the best route for resolution. 

This could be: 

• an investigation under the Student Discipline Regulations (with an appropriately assigned investigator), or
• an alternative resolution process via a ‘concern meeting’  

You’ll normally be invited to meet with a member of the Residence Life team who will explain our processes and provide an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Disciplinary investigations 

If it’s decided that an investigation under the Student Discipline Regulations is the most appropriate course of action, and you choose to proceed, you’ll be invited to meet with an investigator. 

Meeting with an investigator

At this meeting, you’ll give a full statement and share any supporting evidence (for example screenshots, messages or social media posts). You can bring a supporter, friend or family member along for support. 

You can also identify any potential witnesses so that the investigator can consider whether to request  a statement from them. It’s important that you don’t bring any potential witnesses with you to this initial meeting, as we wouldn’t want to undermine any evidence they may provide at a later time. 

If you have a preference for the gender of the investigator, while we can’t guarantee your preference, we’ll do our best to accommodate it. 

The investigator will gather evidence from all of those involved and, where applicable, will make CCTV and any other relevant enquiries. 

Once they’ve received all the information and accompanying evidence, they’ll invite the reported student(s) to a disciplinary meeting. 

Disciplinary meeting with the reported student(s)

The reported student(s) will be made aware of the investigation, and will receive the evidence (including your statement) prior to their disciplinary meeting. 

An investigator will then hold a formal disciplinary meeting with the reported student(s). They’ll be given the opportunity to respond to your report and to give their account. They’ll also be able to provide supporting evidence (for example screenshots) and identify further potential witnesses.

The investigator’s role is to gather all of the relevant evidence that would support or contradict the report of misconduct. It’s not to determine guilt or innocence, or to take sides. 

The outcome

Once all relevant evidence has been collected the investigator will prepare a report , and share this with the Accommodation and Commercial Services (ACS) Conduct management team.

The ACS Conduct management team will consider whether there’s sufficient evidence to show that, on the balance of probabilities (which means that it’s more likely than not) the misconduct reported occurred.  

If it’s decided that there’s insufficient evidence to show that it is more likely than not that misconduct occurred, the discipline process will end with no further action taken against the reported student. 

If misconduct is found, penalties may be imposed as described in the relevant sections of the Regulations relating to the Discipline of Students, including: 

• Requirements of the student’s future conduct.
• Restrictions or conditions such as not contacting a named individual directly or indirectly or not participating in a specific activity or accessing an area of the University.
• A requirement to undertake a course or engage in support to address their behaviour.

Timescales

We aim to complete an investigation in six to eight weeks.

This may take longer if the investigation is complex, the students involved or any witnesses are unavailable or there is a need to avoid examination or assessment periods. 

We’ll keep you informed of the progress of the investigation, and you’ll receive support throughout this process. 

Confidentiality 

Both you and any other students involved will be asked to respect the confidential and personal nature of the disciplinary process and to retain information provided to you as part of that process sensitively and appropriately.  This is to:

•  create a safe environment for the investigation to take place
• safeguard all of those participating in the investigation; and
• ensure that the investigation is not compromised in any way

We understand that you may want to discuss your experience with family and friends in order to seek support, but it’s important that no action is taken which could be viewed as intimidation or harassment of the reported student, for example in person, using social media or via third parties. 

If you or the reported student considers that harassment or an intimidating or hostile environment has been created, this may be reported to the University for potential disciplinary action.

Concern meetings (alternative resolution)

Residence Life concern meetings are facilitated discussions between staff members and student(s) that seek to explore and address behaviours in order to move situations forward in the interests of all involved. The aim is to be able to address concerns and behaviour in a constructive and positive way.

This process seeks to focus on education and understanding rather than blame or punishment and may in some circumstances be deemed the most appropriate process to follow. 

We aim to

• understand the impact the concern has had on you/another person
• address challenging situations between you and another person(s)
• allow  greater understanding of perspectives and lived experiences 

Expected outcomes

Following a concern meeting, we expect the reported student(s) to:

• understand the University’s Code of Conduct and consider the impact of their behaviour on others.
• have an understanding of the subject matter the report relates to, for example misogyny, racism or homophobia
• be able to reflect on the impact of their behaviour on others and consider making changes in light of this

The process looks to identify  ways forward without further concerns.  Possible outcomes could be:

•  an apology
• an agreement not to repeat the concerning behaviour, or
• a commitment not to contact/approach the reporting party.