9.5. Investigation and Interveiw

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9.5.1 Suspension Pending Investigation

  1. In circumstances whereby the safety of others is perceived to be at risk, the Dean of Student Affairs shall be empowered to suspend a student effective immediately. The suspension is to be reviewed within five business days; a written report stating the reason for the suspension is to be filed.
  2. A student with a pending criminal charge may be suspended by the Dean of Student Affairs pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.
  3. A student who is the subject of a police investigation may be suspended by the Dean of Student Affairs pending the outcome of the investigation.
  4. A student serving a suspension is subject to the discretion of the University with regards to continued participation in campus activities and being permitted to sit for an exam.
  5. Appeals regarding suspension are to be written and forwarded by the student to the Dean of Student Affairs.
  6. All suspensions are to be reviewed by the Dean of Student Affairs every four weeks.

9.5.2 Joint Hearing

If two or more students are alleged to be involved in the same misconduct, a joint hearing may be held to facilitate due process in their respective cases.

9.5.3 Preliminary Investigation and Interview

  1. Any alleged breach of University Rules and Regulations shall be the subject of a preliminary investigation. The purpose of a preliminary investigation shall be to determine whether the alleged breach may be disposed of summarily by the person undertaking the preliminary investigation without the need to instigate formal disciplinary procedures.
  2. The relevant authorized person or their nominee shall carry out the preliminary investigation. At any time during the preliminary investigation the authorized person may decide to refer the matter to the Dean of Student Affairs. If the student has a prior formal warning on file, the case will automatically be considered a major offense and shall be referred to the University Disciplinary Committee.
  3. As part of the preliminary investigation the authorized person or their nominee shall hold an investigative interview with the student before deciding whether any further action should be taken. The student will be informed in writing of the issues discussed and the conclusion of the preliminary investigation within 5 business days of the investigative interview.
  4. Following the preliminary investigation, if the alleged offense is found to be insignificant (more trivial than minor offenses listed in 9.6.1.1) the authorized person or their nominee shall have the discretion to apply one of the following:
    1. Dismiss the complaint of misconduct, in which case the matter is closed and no record is retained of the complaint.
    2. Require the student to apologize in specified terms to one or more named persons by a specified date.
    3. Issue a caution in writing, which is formal advice to the student that ifthe misconduct is repeated a more severe penalty may result.

Otherwise, the authorized person must refer the incident of misconduct to the University Disciplinary Committee for either minor or major offenses.