The Policy

This Policy outlines the expectations of student's behaviour on university premises and in the wider community. There are two types of Misconduct - General and Academic. 

General Misconduct 

• Violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening, or offensive behaviour or language; 
• Bullying and harassment;
• Misuse or unauthorised us of University premises or items of property; 
• Behaviour which brings the University into serious disrepute;
• Failure to provide complete and accurate information on the student application or registration form. 

Academic Misconduct 

• Failure to comply with the General Rules for the Conduct of Examinations;
• Any attempt to complete an assessment by means considered to be unfair;
• Plagiarism as defined in the Examination and Assessment Regulations; 
• Failure to provide an electronic copy of an assessment when requested; 
• The late return of equipment loaned by a Faculty or Department which is required by other students to complete an assessment. 

There are three phases through which an allegation may be dealt with. You should have been notified of which phase your allegation is. 

If you wish to raise an allegation yourself, you will need to contact the relevant Authorised person (usually the student's Head of Department). The Advice Service can help identify who this would be. 

The Union Advice service always suggests taking a statement which should outline the following:-

• Should factually explain the circumstances and events leading up to the allegation
• Acknowledge and discuss the issues which have occurred,, and comment on any evidence presented so far
• Reflect on the situation and consider future actions that could be taken to help prevent similar allegations in the future.
• If you had circumstances that were impacting upon you at the time, explain what they were and why you did not/were not able to submit an Extenuating Circumstances Form
• Provide evidence to support your case
• May include your preferred outcome

Phase 1 - Early Intervention

At this phase, an authorised person will be identified to bring the case forward. This person will review the concerns and will write to explain the suspected breach or regulations, including an evidence to support this allegation. A meeting will then be arranged between the relevant individuals. It is possible to move straight to phase 2 (where suitable sanctions are not available at stage 1).

This meeting will seek to discuss possible interventions that can be put in place to address concerns raised. If this matter can be resolved satisfactorily at this stage, appropriate interventions or outcomes will be put in place to address these concerns and no further action is required. 

If this matter cannot be resolved at this stage, or the matter is regarded to be of a serious nature, the Authorised Person will proceed to a Phase 2 Investigation.

Phase 2 - Investigation 

If a case cannot be resolved in Phase 1, the matter will be formally investigated by an investigator who has not previously been involved in the case. The investigator will aim to determine whether a breach in regulations has occurred and whether it was the student responsible for this breach OR whether unacceptable behaviour has taken place.

If the student is on a course with Professional Statutory and Regulatory Body expectations, this will also be considered. 

The student whose behaviour has been drawn into question will then be invited to a meeting to discuss the allegation further. They will then consider the evidence and determine whether, on the balance of probability, the student’s behaviour was unacceptable.

There are three possible conclusions from a Phase 2 investigation. These are as follows:

1. The matter is resolved and sanctions agreed by all parties and the case will be closed.
2. The student's behaviour has been considered as unacceptable OR has been found to breach academic regulations. The investigator will decide if it will be dealt with as a Phase 1, 2 or 3 behavioural/academic offence. If considered a Phase 3, it will be escalated to the next stage of the process.
3. The student has not been considered to be in breach of regulations and the matter will be closed.

The indicative timeframe to complete phase 2 is between 15 to 20 working days. 

Phase 3 - Escalation 

If it is believed that a level 3  Offence has been committed, a report will be sent to the DSAA (disciplinarycases@port.ac.uk). They will then consider the allegation and determine whether it is valid and appropriate to be treated as a Phase 3 offence 

If they do not feel that this should be dealt with at Phase 3, it will be returned to the relevant Authorised Person with a recommendation of Phase 1 or 2. If they do feel it is valid, an Escalation Panel will be appointed. They will consider the evidence and form a conclusion on the balance of probabilities. These are three possible outcomes as follows: 

1. The matter is resolved to the satisfaction of both parties and the case will be closed. 
2. The student’s behaviour has been found to be unacceptable or to have breached academic regulations. The panel will decide whether a sanction should be applied at level 1, 2 or 3. 
3. The student has not been considered to be in breach and the matter will be closed. 

Appeals

Students have a right to appeal at each phase of this Policy, Please see our guidance on Appeals for further information.