Extra Help and Support with the ACS disciplinary process

The Accommodation & Commercial Services (ACS) disciplinary process is a formal process that the ACS Conduct team follows whenever we receive a report of misconduct. There’s a detailed explanation of how it works in the article: The ACS disciplinary process; this article focuses on additional support. Just like any process, it can seem stressful and overwhelming if you don’t understand it. But, if you understand your rights and responsibilities, it’s much easier to navigate.

The disciplinary process is a formal process governed by certain rules. It is fair and impartial, and must follow ‘due process’. This means that:

• The same process is always followed, to be fair to everyone.

• You have the right to bring a friend or representative with you for support.

• You have the right to know what evidence suggests that you were involved in any incident.

• You have the right to respond to this evidence and explain your version of events.

• You have the right to ask questions, and share any information you need to.

• If you disagree with the final outcome of the process, you have the right to appeal

There are certain expectations of you within this process, too. This means that:

• You should engage honestly and openly.

• You should communicate politely and professionally.

• You should ask any questions you need to, to make sure that you understand the process.

If you fail to meet these expectations, it may count against you. Being dishonest, evasive, rude or abusive is likely to count as an additional count of misconduct in itself, regardless of what the original issue was. Being honest and polite will mean you get the chance to say what you want to, ask the questions you need to, and understand what’s happening and why. So, it’s best to treat the disciplinary process like you would any other University process, and give it the same respect you would give your academic and professional responsibilities. Sometimes we all say things we don't mean when we're stressed, so if this happens accidentally, just explain, apologise, and move on.

Sometimes residents find it stressful and upsetting to have to take part in this process. If you've received a referral letter telling you that you'll need to attend an investigatory meeting, don’t panic. An investigatory meeting is just that; part of an investigation. This doesn’t mean that anyone has pre-judged the situation or decided you’re ‘guilty’ of doing something wrong. It’s simply that some evidence exists which suggests you have some knowledge or involvement in an incident, and as a result, it’s necessary to meet with you as part of the investigation to find out what you know.

Referral letters and evidence

If you receive a referral letter telling you you need to attend a meeting, read it carefully. There will usually be an attachment. This is the evidence that suggests you have some knowledge or involvement related to the investigation. All sorts of evidence is considered. Here are some examples:

• A Security report about a noise complaint regarding a party in your flat.

• A report from the Housekeeping team with photos of stolen traffic cones in your kitchen.

• A witness statement from another student claiming you behaved dangerously.

• A report from the Contracts team with a photograph of damage to ceiling tiles in your flat hallway.

Sometimes you’ll already know all about the incident because you were directly involved in it. Sometimes you’ll have witnessed it but not been involved yourself. Sometimes you might think you don’t know anything about it at all. Whatever information you do have might be important to the wider investigation. Without all the facts, it's difficult to know whether something you know might be important, so you’re always expected to co-operate with the process.

Occasionally, there are good reasons to remove someone from an investigation. If your whole flat has been referred to a disciplinary meeting for a communal issue, everyone is expected to attend the meeting. If you weren’t all involved, and the people responsible write statements taking full responsibility for the incident, it’s possible that you or anyone else may be released from the investigation. For example, if damage was caused to the kitchen during a party, but one of your flatmates had already left the accommodation for the holidays, you can say so, so they can be removed from the investigation. If something like this happens to you, and you weren't involved but have been asked to attend a meeting anyway, you can try asking the people responsible to own up. If they don’t want to, speak to your mentor for advice. People often claim they weren't involved in an incident when they actually were, so usually only someone else's statements can be used to release you from the process. If something like this has happened to you, it might be a good idea to write a statement yourself. 

Writing a statement

Writing a statement is a way to formally get your account of events on the record before a meeting. This is especially useful if you find it difficult to remember small details, or to explain things in the moment. People write statements in all sorts of different situations.

Whatever your reason for writing a statement, it should be a true, full, accurate, and first-hand account of the incident. If there’s information you don’t know, you can just state this. Putting your thoughts down in writing can help you feel calmer about the process, and ensures you get to say exactly what you want to, in your own words. Your statement will be used as evidence and shared with anyone else involved in the investigation, normally in the meeting itself, so you can’t use it to make anonymous claims.

If you’re feeling anxious about the meeting, you can consider getting in touch with the Student Advice Centre. They can arrange to meet with you before the disciplinary meeting, and have a chat about what will happen and how to prepare. They might even help you write a statement ahead of the meeting, or attend the meeting with you. If you think this might be helpful, you could read through their help pages to find out more.

Also bear in mind that you can bring someone with you to the meeting as a friend or a representative. People often find this helpful. It could be a friend or flatmate, or a parent or guardian. Sometimes it helps to have someone with you for moral support. They might also help you to remember what you want to say, or to ask certain questions. It’s worth remembering, though, that you are the one under investigation. If you’ve decided to bring your friend to your meeting because they were also involved, but they haven’t been formally referred like you were, it’s better if they email the Conduct Team themselves to explain what happened.  

Lastly, if you don't really understand why the incident is being investigated, you might also want to read our articles on The Regulations relating to the Discipline of Students and Your residence contract.