Student Discipline Committee

DISC06-M3

Minutes of the Meeting of the Student Discipline Committee held on 28 November 2006

Members: Dr J E Davies (ab), R H Mayo (in the Chair), S Black (ab), J B C Blood, Dr H P Drake,
G Godfrey (ab), D Green (ab), R M King, S A Mason, K Roxborough, M Shuker (ab),
J A M Strong (ab), J Swaffer, Professor J B Thomas

By invitation: T W Cartwright, R J Kennedy

In attendance: D L Wolfe

Apologies for Absence: Dr Davies, Ms Green, Mr Shuker, Mrs Strong

19. Membership
DISC06-P6

The Committee noted its current Membership and Terms of Reference. The Chair welcomed the new student members.

20. Minutes
(DISC06-M2– previously circulated)

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 16 June 2006 were confirmed.

21. Matters Arising from the Minutes

.1 Students’ Union Disciplinary Policy
DISC06-P9

The Committee received a copy of the LSU’s current Disciplinary Policy. The Vice-President for Democracy and Internal Affairs, Mr Swaffer, accepted an offer from Mr Blood to review the Policy and to redraft sections as necessary; he was asked to contact Mr Blood as soon as possible.

.2 Clarification of Penalties
DISC06-P10

The Committee received and considered a paper from the Registrar clarifying the relationship between fees paid to the University, and disciplinary penalties imposed. It was felt that the Committee should not seek to influence contractual arrangements between students and University agencies such as Computing Services and Imago, but that Panels imposing penalties should take the Registrar’s paper into account. In particular the Committee noted the following:

· That Panels should avoid imposing the forfeiting of fees as a penalty

· That Panels may take into account whether fees are forfeit as a result of disciplinary action in determining a penalty

· That whether a fee is forfeit as a result of exclusion from a facility on disciplinary grounds is dependent on whether this is explicitly specified in the agreement between the student and the University

.3 UNITE Halls
DISC06-M2, Min. 13.3 refers

The Committee noted that the Registrar had referred its concerns to the Health and Safety Officer, and to the Director of Student Guidance and Welfare.

.4 Statute XIV – Amendment
DISC06-M2, Min. 13.4 refers

The Committee noted that at its meeting on 28 June 2006 Senate had resolved to recommend to Council an amendment to Statute XIV as proposed by the Committee.

.5 Dissemination of Information – Student References
DISC06-P11

The Committee received advice from the University Solicitor in regard to the impact of disciplinary proceedings on student references. The advice suggested that where a student had been subjected to a disciplinary penalty, the referee must consider whether this ought to be disclosed to the recipient of the reference, given that the reference must be true, accurate and fair; penalties which were not trivial should generally be disclosed As a result of this advice, the outcome of major disciplinary hearings was now communicated to a student’s Head of Department.

There was some discussion of how to ensure that the recommendations were implemented across the University. The Secretary was asked to instigate discussions as necessary.

.6 Procedure for Expulsions and Suspensions
DISC06-M2, Mins. 14 and 15 refer

The Committee was disappointed that Senate had apparently not discussed its concerns about the need to tighten procedures so that finalists charged with major disciplinary offences did not evade due process through the simple passage of time. It was AGREED to recommend to Senate that an outstanding disciplinary matter be deemed equivalent to a debt to the University, so that Boards of Examiners could not promulgate examination results whilst disciplinary matters were unresolved.

Given the urgency of the issue, the Committee Chair was asked to raise the issue directly with the Vice-Chancellor.

.7 Minor Offences
DISC06-M2, Min. 16 refers

The Security Manager reported that automatic number plate recognition software had been trialled, rather than introduced as reported in the minute. Introduction would depend on the availability of funding.

22. Major Disciplinary Hearings: Autumn 2006
DISC06-P12

The Committee noted that three Hearings had taken place to date, and a further four were pending. Several related to offensive websites, and the Case Officer was liaising with Computing Services to see how this growing problem might be addressed.

23. Minor Offences to date: 2006 /2007

The Committee noted a summary of minor offences to date in 2006/2007.

The Case Officer reported that a number of students had willfully failed to comply with Community Service Orders imposed as part of a minor penalty. It was AGREED as follows:-

.1 To invite the Registrar to fine such students for failure to comply with a penalty

.2 To recommend to Senate that failure to comply with the non-financial part of any penalty be regarded in the same light as failure to comply with a fine, and should be regarded as failure to comply with the University’s requirement

.3 To authorize the Registrar to deem failure to comply with a penalty imposed for a minor offence as a major offence

24. Date of Next Meeting

Thursday 13 March 2006 at 10.00 am (time to be confirmed)