
Disciplinary Hearings
Under GUDR, minor cases can be dealt with summarily, which means without the need for a Committee Hearing. Some major or serious cases can also be dealt with in this way but only if the University agrees.
Any major, serious or denied cases (in full or in part) will go to a hearing with the Committee on Student Discipline. This will be a group of around 3-5 academic staff members who have no connection to you, the allegation, or any other students involved in the case.
It’s important you prioritise attending the hearing, as if you don’t attend without ‘good cause’ the case can still go ahead and you wouldn’t be able to appeal against the outcome. If there’s a very strong reason you cannot attend on the date you are given, you can ask Student Cases to reschedule but there is no guarantee. You can ask LUU Advice if you’re not sure about your circumstances.
You will be asked questions relating to the allegation(s) - this is your chance to state your version of events. It’s important to be honest, even if you have acted in a way that you shouldn’t have, as the University does value honesty in these cases. You should talk about any mitigating circumstances that might have impacted on your behaviour, but these are explanations rather than excuses - you should take responsibility for your actions even if you did not intend to cause harm.
You can take a supporter to the hearing but they cannot be anyone involved in the case, such as a witness or co-accused student. This supporter cannot speak on your behalf, all questions will be directed to you during the hearing. One of our Advisors may be able to support - let us know with plenty of advance notice so we can check availability.
The Committee doesn't have to make decisions in the same way as a legal court (beyond reasonable doubt). Instead they use the balance of probabilities, which means if they think it is more likely than not that the offence occurred, they will apply a penalty as they see fit.
They will usually make a decision on the day of your hearing, or shortly after. If you don’t agree with the decision made or the penalty given, you can appeal to the Vice-Chancellor. Read our related articles to find out how.