Personal tutors will rarely have to be directly involved with student disciplinary matters. However, they should be aware of information regarding discipline and how procedures work.
Suppose one of your tutees is the subject of a disciplinary allegation. In that case, they may come to you for advice and support which might extend to you writing a character reference for them and possibly accompanying them if they are called to a Disciplinary Panel.
Cheating and plagiarism are the offences most commonly seen within departments. They are initially investigated within departments and you may become involved through any of your roles as a personal tutor, teacher, examiner or invigilator. Colleagues in more senior positions will normally give advice to you, if needed.
Discipline
How is discipline handled?
How alleged offences are dealt with is dictated by the location of the incident. For example, an offence on ICU premises is dealt with by the president of the Student Union and offences in student residences are dealt with by the hall warden. Within departments the head of department has jurisdiction but this will often be devolved to the Senior or Postgraduate Tutor. Offences in other areas of Imperial, in multiple areas, misconduct of a nature likely to bring Imperial into disrepute (wherever it occurs) or misuse of ICT facilities are all dealt with by tutors.
Generally the responsible authority will investigate a case and then follow a course of action, which might be:
- Taking no further action
- Issuing summary punishment
- This is typically a reprimand, a fine or a direction of community service within Imperial or any combination
- Referring the case, if deemed serious enough, to a Discipline panel
- Senior staff may suspend a student with immediate effect and ban them from campus, if it is thought they pose an immediate threat to the wellbeing of themselves or other individuals
What should personal tutors do?
If personal tutors become aware of a disciplinary issue with one of their students (as victim or aggressor), they should seek advice from their Senior Tutor. In either case, the Senior Tutor needs to know of the case.
It is very rare for one of our students to be an out-and-out troublemaker. Nearly all incidents are those that occur in the heat of the moment and are later regretted. It is normal to offer a student advice and support, even where they appear to be the guilty party. It is normal for departments to protect a student’s academic status and assist in continuing their education while an allegation of misconduct is being investigated.
What is expected of students?
What is expected of students is defined in a set of Student Regulations, which include measures designed to protect our neighbours and the good name of Imperial. These tend to be used against students when high-spirited behaviour gets out of hand and exceeds common decency or results in damage or causes offence.
Thankfully nearly all our students are well behaved nearly all the time. They have worked hard to get to Imperial and are keen to protect the university's name, and by implication, the value of their degrees.