Discipline

Discipline offences are separated into minor and major offences. Minor offences can usually be dealt with by an authorised officer but major offences and repeated/multiple minor offences must progress to a Discipline Committee.

You can find a list of minor and major offences in Regulation B1 4.2-4.3, and also on the Student Discipline page under 'What can I be disciplined for?'.

Please note, if your case is being investigated by the police the university will not investigate until the police have finished their investigation. However, the university could still suspend you from parts of campus or from the university in the meantime - see the Risk Assessment Panel section below.

Stage 1 - Authorised Officer

You can read full information about the Authorised Officer stage under 'Investigation of Minor Offences'.

An authorised officer is appointed by the university to investigate your case. You can request a list of these officers by emailing discipline@keele.ac.uk.

You may be invited to attend a pre-process meeting with the authorised officer to find out about the investigation process. You are then invited to attend an investigation meeting. During the meeting, you will be given all of the details of the allegation(s) and the opportunity to give your version of events. There may need to be follow-up meetings while the case continues to be investigated.

If you are accused of a minor offence the officer will decide whether the case is proven and, if so, what penalties are most appropriate (see the list of penalties below). You will either be told in the decision in the meeting or you will be informed in writing later. All decisions will be confirmed in writing.

If you are accused of a major offence or multiple minor offences the authorised officer will not make a decision and your case will instead go to Stage 2.

ASK can help prepare you for the meeting and attend with you if you would like support.

Stage 2 - Discipline Committee

You can read full information about the Discipline Committee stage under 'Investigation of Major Offences' and 'Discipline Committee'.

If you are accused of a major offence or multiple minor offences there will be a longer investigation period and your case will go to Stage 2. The authorised officer, who has been investigating the case, will present their investigation to a Discipline Committtee. The investigation is supposed to be impartial and you can put forward evidence and witness names.

You are invited to attend the committee, normally with 7 days notice, and are asked to submit a statement and any evidence beforehand. You can also call witnesses to speak to the committee. You will have the chance to put forward your version of events and question the authorised officer about their investigation.

You will be given the committee's decision in writing - see below for a list of potential penalties the committee can impose.

ASK can help you prepare for the committee, advise you on what to expect on the day, and attend with you if you would like support.

You can read about this process in full in Regulation B1.

During the discipline investigation you may have restrictions imposed on you as a temporary measure if the university thinks there is a threat of harm to yourself, other students and/or members of the university or to university property. These restrictions can include limited access or a total ban from areas of campus or from the entire university. Failing to comply with restrictions is a disciplinary offence.

This is done under a separate process, but is still under the discipline regulation B1. These temporary measures do not indicate that you have committed an offence; they are put in place as a precaution while the university investigates.

You will initially receive a letter outlining any restrictions that are immediately in place. You are then invited, but are under no obligation, to attend a Risk Assessment Panel that will discuss these restrictions, review them and decide whether they should remain as they are or whether they should be relaxed or  extended. You will also have the opportunity to describe any impact the restrictions are having on you. Please note, the panel is not part of the discipline investigation and their decision will not have any bearing on the final discipline outcome.

Restrictions will continue to be reviewed during your investigation, though you would not normally be asked to attend another RAP.

The Discipline Committee will decide at the end of the case whether the Risk Assessment Panel restrictions need to be kept or can be lifted.

You will be given penalties if the university decides the allegation against you is proven. This is decided on a case-by-case basis and the greater penalties will only be applied for major offences if they are suitably serious or if there have been multiple offences during your time at Keele.

See the general list of potential penalties and the more specific list, which indicates what type of penalty you could expect from particular offences.

Stage 1- Authorised Officer

If your case is decided at Stage 1 there will be limits on the penalties you can get.

Potential penalties at this stage include:

• A formal written reprimand, to be held on your university record.
• A formal apology.
• A reflective statement of at least 1000 words.
• A restitution payment to cover the costs of any damage you caused.
• A fine of up to a maximum of £250 - please note this fine would be separate to any restitution payment.
• Attendance at an appropriate training activity, e.g. if you tampered with fire equipment you would be required to attend a Fire Safety Awareness Workshop.

Stage 2 - Discipline Committee

Committees have greater powers than designated officers, including excluding or suspending you from the course or parts of campus. Potential penalties at this stage include:

• A formal written reprimand, to be held on your university record.
• A formal apology.
• A reflective statement.
• A restitution payment to cover the costs of any damage you caused.
• A fine of up to a maximum of £500 - please note this fine would be separate to any restitution payment.
• Attendance at an appropriate training activity, e.g. if you tampered with fire equipment you would be required to attend a Fire Safety Awareness Workshop.

For the most serious offences:

• Exclusion from certain areas of the University - either for a specified period, at certain times in the week, or permanently. This can include buildings such as Halls of Residence, the library and the SU.
• Exclusion from the University - either a suspension for a specified period or a permanent withdrawal.
• A ban from attending your graduation ceremony.

ASK can:

• Read your statement and offer feedback on areas that don’t make sense or where your meaning is unclear.
• Advise you on how the meeting will be conducted.
• Advise on the regulations and guidance that govern the meeting.
• Attend the meeting with you as a supporter.
• Help you to understand the outcome and its implications.
• Make notes on any procedural irregularities to support a potential appeal.
• Offer advice and support in any appeal application.

ASK will not be able to:

• Attend the meeting if you are not present (either in person or via Teams).
• Answer questions about the allegations on your behalf.
• Question the investigator or any witnesses or reporting student on your behalf.
• Offer professional legal advice.
• Argue your case on your behalf.
• Predict what the outcome of your meeting will be.

Some allegations may, separately, also constitute a criminal offence - ASK are not able to provide legal advice on criminal law. Please visit this website to find a solicitor.

You can submit an appeal against a discipline decision at either stage if you have grounds. The grounds are:

• Procedural irregularity in the conduct of the case;
• There is new evidence that can be substantiated, including exceptional circumstances, which was not known at the time, and may have affected the outcome had it been known to the Authorised Officer / Discipline Committee and that there is a valid reason for not making it known at the time. 

You must submit the appeal within 10 days of the date on the decision letter and use the correct form.

Full details about the appeal process, including a link to the form.

ASK can help you with an appeal.