The Regulations relating to the Discipline of Students

This article is part of a series on behaviour and communal living issues in residences. In this article, we’ll cover:

• What the Regulations relating to the Discipline of Students are

• How they affect you

• How to avoid breaching their terms

The Regulations relating to the Discipline of Students are the rules that apply to all students at the University, no matter what their degree programme or level of study is. To put this more simply, they’re the rules all students must follow.

You may not have read the Regulations in detail, and in many ways, they’re mainly common sense rules. They formally set out the behaviour that’s expected of students here. The most recent version of the Regulations can always be found at The University of Sheffield Calendar. It’s always worth reading through them to make sure you understand them.



The Regulations are a formal document, written in complex language. In plain English, the Regulations define misconduct, or unacceptable behaviour, to include things like this.

• Doing anything to interfere with other people’s ability to lead their normal lives on campus, as residents, students, staff or visitors.

• Being part of any dangerous, violent or offensive behaviour that might harm or upset anyone else.

• Engaging in any unwanted sexual contact of any kind, including online, in-person, or via messages.

• Deceiving University staff.

• Doing anything that might hurt anyone, or put anyone at risk.

• Harassing or abusing anyone in any way, including in reference to their ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

• Making any comments (out loud, in writing, on social media, or in any other format) that cause someone distress based on their race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability; or comments based on those characteristics that encourage anyone else to abuse, threaten or use violence towards them.

• Breaching the University's Code of Practice relating to Meetings and Other Activities.

• Use of unfair means in the assessment process, which could include any kind of cheating in exams or assignments.

• Either deliberately or recklessly damaging, defacing, vandalising or stealing property owned by the University or anyone from the community.

• Either misusing, or using without permission, the property or premises of the University (including using computers for banned or illegal activity).

• Doing anything that breaks the law, if it is: on campus; affecting members of the University community or the public; damaging the University’s reputation; and/or if it is itself misconduct under these Regulations. This also covers dishonesty where the student holds a position of responsibility in the Students' Union or on campus.

• Doing anything that damages the University’s reputation, including, for example, breaking any of these rules in a public setting.

• Not giving your name and other details to an officer or member of University staff, in any situation where it’s reasonable for them to ask you for this information.

• Not co-operating with any penalty or requirement placed on you previously under these Regulations.

• Any breach of the residence contract in University-owned or managed accommodation.

• Misusing University intellectual property, including, for example, sharing teaching materials online where non-students can access it.

• Sharing someone else’s legitimate speech or activities in a way that might put them at risk (for example, sharing someone's information or location with someone else whom you might know means them harm).

In addition to the Regulations, it’s also important to be aware of the terms of your residence contract, because breaching that contract is an automatic breach of the Regulations, too. It might seem like a lot of rules to remember, but in general, the Regulations just cover the kinds of things you’d expect them to. If you’re kind and considerate of those around you, and you follow the same rules you’d follow in wider society, it’s unlikely that you’ll accidentally breach these regulations. They're just basic rules for good academic and community living.

However, it’s important to know that ignorance of the terms of these Regulations isn’t an excuse for breaching them. It’s your responsibility to make sure that you understand the rules, so that you don’t break them accidentally, or deliberately! If you do breach these rules, disciplinary action might be taken against you. If you find yourself in this position, there’s plenty of support to help you navigate the process. Speak to your Residence Life Mentor for some advice, or have a read through our support articles here on the website.

If you think somebody else’s behaviour might breach these Regulations, and you’re being negatively affected by it, your Mentor is a good person to talk to. They can help you understand your options and decide whether you want to formally report it. For any urgent issues, you can always call Security on 0114 222 4444 for emergencies, or 0114 222 4085 for non-emergencies.

Hopefully this article has helped you to understand the Regulations relating to the Discipline of Students, how they affect you, and how to avoid breaching their terms.

- The ACS Student Conduct Team