I've been accused
If you've been accused
If you've been accused
Complaints cannot be anonymous. Complaints can only be brought by registered members of the University community.
1. A complaint has been made about me. What happens now?
Please see the information below - depending on whether the complaint is formal or informal.
Informal action - what are the options?
Welfare - Peer 2 peer conflict resolution:
Meeting facilitated by trained staff - you and the other party can talk around the concerns to find a way forward together.
Mediation:
Meeting facilitated by a University Mediator - you and the other party will mediate through the issues to reach a way forward acceptable
to all parties.
College Meeting:
Meeting facilitated by Education Support Advisor
Residence Life/Living Support Meeting:
Meeting facilitated through the Residence Life or Living Support Teams.
These meetings would aim to help negotiate how you and the other party can continue to study or live (as relevant) together without having a negative impact on each other.
Formal complaint
We will consider if action should be taken under the Student Disciplinary Procedure and would follow points 1-5 below:
Investigation meeting
You will hear the allegations made about you. You can tell us what happened from your point of view (see the flowchart on this type of meeting).
Next stage
Investigating Officer and Head of Student Cases determine if disciplinary breaches have occurred.
Timings
We will aim to complete the case within 30 calendar days.
Outcomes
- No breach: no further action
- Minor breach: minor penalty
- Potential Major breach: case taken to Major Disciplinary Board
Appeal
If you are not happy with the outcome you can ask the University to review your case: you must do this within 10 working days of receiving the outcome.
2. I've been called to a Major Disciplinary Board - What can I expect?
Arrangements
- Student Cases team will organise the meeting and will give you at least 10 working days notice.
- You will receive the paperwork detailing the allegations against you 7 working days before the meeting.
- You can make a statement 5 working days before the meeting.
- The Board will consist of two senior members of the University and a Students’ Guild Sabbatical Officer/Athletic Union President/SU Falmouth and Exeter Officer (in Cornwall).
- If you have any reasonable adjustments you require to be made to take account of any disability you should liaise with the Secretary of the Board to arrange these.
- You can have a supporter with you in the meeting. Their role is to provide support not to represent you.
How the meeting will run
- The Investigating Officer will outline the case to the Board.
- You can then present your explanation.
- The Board will ask you questions and you can ask questions through the Chair.
- You can call witnesses - you and the Board can ask questions of your witness(es) before they are asked to leave.
- The Investigating Officer can call witnesses - you and the Board can ask questions of witness(es) before they are asked to leave.
- You can present any closing statements that you would like the Board to consider.
- The Investigating Officer will present any closing statements that they feel the Board should consider.
- Once the closing statements are made you and the Investigating Officer will be asked to leave.
Decision
The Board will make their decision in person and will confirm their decision within 5 working days. A full report will follow in due course.
Appeal
If you wish to appeal against a decision of the Board you have 10 working days from the date you receive the full report.
Download our information
You can download the above information as flowchart PDF documents below: