Considering making a student conduct report

• Exhibiting disorderly, threatening, intimidating or violent behaviour.
• Harassment/bullying (inclusive of publishing online, and hate incidents) as set out in the Zero Tolerance of Harassment and Bullying Policy (.pdf).
• Sexual misconduct, which includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse and any conduct of a sexual nature that is without consent, to include conduct online or through social media.
• Creating, or causing to be created, excessive noise which causes discomfort, inconvenience or annoyance to authorised users of the University or University owned or administered accommodation.
• Behaviour towards any member of the University which is discourteous, disrespectful or uncooperative or which interferes with or impedes any member of the University in carrying out his/her duty or proper function as such.
• Behaviour that is likely to cause injury, illness or impair safety on University premises, including University owned or administered accommodation.
• Interfering with or impeding, by the use of intimidation, violence, threat of violence or physical obstruction, the supply or delivery of any goods or services to the University or interfering with or impeding the entry into the University or University owned or administered accommodation of any lawful visitor.
• Behaving in a manner which obstructs, frustrates or disrupts:
  • any lecture, class or other instruction, or any laboratory work, or any examinations, authorised to be held, given or undertaken within the University; or any meeting or other function (including social or sporting activities) authorised to take place within the University; or
  • the satisfactory conduct of the administrative work of the University or its public or official functions, activities or legal duties.
• Failing to disclose name and other relevant details to an employee of the University or the Students’ Union when it is reasonable to require that such information be given.
• Coercive behaviour, which constitutes a continuing act, or a pattern of acts, of assault, threats, intimidation or humiliation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten.
• Controlling behaviour, which constitutes acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating everyday behaviour.

• Possessing, using, or supplying within the University and University owned or administered accommodation any controlled drug or psychoactive substance.
• Possessing within the University and University owned or administered accommodation any offensive weapon.
• Causing the activation of a fire alarm within the University and University owned or administered accommodation when it is unwarranted.
• Misusing fire detection equipment, fire prevention equipment or fire-fighting appliances within the University and University owned or administered accommodation.
• Failing to immediately evacuate any part of the University or University-owned or administered accommodation, when a fire alarm sounds or returning before being told it is safe to do so by a fire officer or authorised member of the University staff.
• The use of lighted candles, tea lights, incense sticks or any other device which has a naked flame without the written permission of the Registrar and Secretary.
• Failing to comply with the University’s No Smoking Policy.

• Committing theft within the University and University owned or administered accommodation.
• Committing or attempting to commit any fraud against the University or any member of the University.
• Causing damage to property belonging to another or unauthorised use of the property of the University or its grounds, or interfering with any mechanical, electrical or other services or installations within the University and University owned or administered accommodation without the authority to do so.
• Behaving in a manner that causes, or is likely to cause, death, unnecessary suffering, harm or distress to any species of wildlife or domesticated or semidomesticated animal.
• Disposing of litter inappropriately within the University and University owned or administered accommodation.

• Infringing or attempting to infringe a regulation of the University and encouraging or assisting others to infringe a regulation of the University including encouraging or assisting another student to commit an academic offence.
• Having received a formal police caution or having been convicted in a court of law or failing to report having received a formal police caution or having been convicted in a court of law in relation to any relevant criminal offence(s).
• Behaving in such a way as may reasonably be deemed to harm the reputation of the University of Essex or its relationship with the local or wider community and/or attracting adverse publicity.
• Misusing the University’s name or any University record or document; or forging or falsifying any University record or document; or making any false statement either verbally or in writing in relation to any academic examination or assessment or University administrative function or service; or being party to impersonation in relation to any academic examination or assessment or University administrative function or service. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of false documentation or false statements in the process of gaining admission to the University.
• Failing to comply with the terms and conditions of the contract for accommodation.
• Failing to comply with the ’IT Acceptable Use Policy’.
• Failing to comply with any direction or restriction, imposed by the Librarian in respect of the use of Library facilities.
• Failing without good reason to comply with a resolution previously imposed by the Registrar and Secretary, the Conduct Investigator, a Student Conduct Committee or a Student Conduct Committee of Appeal.
• Making an allegation which is deemed to be vexatious, malicious or false.
• Attempting to undermine or undermining the University’s obligations in respect of UK Immigration policy.
• Failing to comply with the University’s policy and procedures for attendance monitoring or misuse of electronic attendance monitoring.
• Any behaviour that is deemed to contravene the general principles of the Code of Student Conduct, including failure to engage in the Code of Student Conduct when requested to do so.

Pre-cautionary measures are put in place when a risk assessment is conducted by a Student Conduct Manager following the receipt of a report. Pre-cautionary measures are decided on a case-by-case basis following the outcome of the risk assessment. Examples of pre-cautionary measures are outlined below:

• Non-contact order – this means an order outlining a restriction on communication between the reported, complainant and occasionally witnesses. This includes face-to-face, phone call, phone messages, via social media and through third parties. Any breaches of this order should be alerted to the Student Conduct Team (studentconduct@essex.ac.uk) who will investigate this allegation. Breaching this order falls under the regulation D12 of the Student Code of Conduct and is punishable if proven.
  D12. Any behaviour that is deemed to contravene the general principles of the Code of Student Conduct, including failure to engage in the Code of Student Conduct when requested to do so.
• Full or partial exclusion from campus – a partial exclusion from campuses will likely exclude you from areas that are seen as higher risk, for example certain accommodation areas or from any bars or clubs on campus. A full exclusion means that you are not allowed onto the campuses until further notice from the Student Conduct Team.
• Other measures may include a curfew, being required to move accommodation, or any other measure the investigator deems necessary to prevent any further cause for complaint.

You will receive information ahead of your meeting via your Essex email. This will include the time and date, the expected length of the meeting and whether you will meet the investigator via Zoom or in person on campus.

If you are a reported student, you will typically meet with the investigator after they have gathered evidence from the complainant and witnesses. This ensures that all relevant information can be presented to you, allowing you to provide your account of the events. By consolidating the evidence into a single meeting, it avoids the need for multiple sessions as new information arises and gives you the opportunity to fully respond to the allegations. While this may mean waiting until the investigation reaches this stage, please be assured that this is a normal part of the process and should not be a cause for concern.

The investigator will introduce themselves and ask you to confirm information such as your preferred name, status of any ongoing Police case and your access to support services. The investigator will also let you know that they will be taking written notes throughout the meeting to capture your version of events. The notes will be sent to you during the investigation for you to confirm the accuracy.

We appreciate that speaking about the allegation(s) can be very difficult and will check-in with you through the meeting to ensure you are okay to continue. It’s possible to take short breaks if needed, or re-schedule if appropriate.

If relevant, the investigator will go through any evidence that is pertinent to the case. They will also ask you if there are any witnesses if you have not provided them already.

At the end of the meeting, the investigator will speak with you about an expected timeline for the case, next steps and go through any questions you may have.

Occasionally some meetings may overrun the expected scheduled time. If this happens, the investigator will either confirm with everyone present if they are happy to continue or they will end the meeting as scheduled, and you will be sent further times by the Student Conduct Team to book an additional appointment.

You can make an anonymous report via Report + Support.

However, it’s important to note that anonymous reports cannot be taken forward by the Student Conduct Team to investigate as we are an evidenced-based process.

Anonymous reports are still extremely helpful to receive to give our services information on types of incidents and to help us pick up on trends in order to aid the team in taking forward preventative measures in the future for the safety and security of the University population.

The Student Conduct Team will contact you through the studentconduct@essex.ac.uk email address and will send all correspondence to your Essex email address. Occasionally, it might be necessary to contact you through your personal email address which you would have provided when you applied to the University. Please ensure that this is up-to-date and confidential for your use.

If you have a meeting with an investigator, it is likely that the investigators personal Essex email address will send you a calendar invitation. If you are unsure about who is contacting you, if you click on the sender’s name in the email you should see a dialogue box which will state their job title; this will be either Student Conduct Manager, Student Conduct Officer or Student Progress Assistant.

If you are ever unsure about who is contacting you, please email studentconduct@essex.ac.uk in the first instance. Alternatively, you can seek advice from the SU Advice Team, Student Information Team (SIT) or the IT Helpdesk who will be able to assist you with this query.