Regulations for postgraduate research students: Section 13
Section 13: Precautionary Measures, Contact Limitations and Criminal Proceedings within University Investigations Regulation
13.1 Precautionary Measures Introduction
13.1.1 If we receive a report about your behaviour, we may use this procedure to assess the risk associated with it. This procedure can be used with Fitness to Study and Student Disciplinary procedures. Anyone, including members of the public, can make a report to the University about your behaviour. Reports may be made by the police, academic staff, placement staff, other students or other University staff.
13.1.2 We take a risk-based approach to investigating allegations. We take the safety and protection of our students, staff and the general public very seriously. If we consider that you are at risk or pose a risk to others, we may take precautionary measures based upon a risk assessment, which could for example prohibit your access to campus or your university activities such as attending placements. If we decide to impose precautionary measures, we will explain why.
13.1.3 Risk assessments and any imposed precautionary measures are authorised by a Pro-Vice Chancellor.
13.2 Criminal Proceedings
13.2.1 If an allegation is made about you to the police and the police decide to investigate, we are likely to postpone our investigations under any one of our procedures until the criminal proceedings have been concluded. The University may require a risk assessment to be completed and as a result, we you could have precautionary measures placed on your studies whilst the criminal proceedings are ongoing, if we believe that you may pose a risk. In exceptional circumstances we may decide to continue our investigations whilst criminal proceedings are continuing. If we decide to do this we will explain why.
13.2.2 Once the criminal proceedings have concluded, we will carry out our own investigation using the appropriate procedure. Once you have been notified that criminal proceedings have concluded you must let us know, this includes providing a copy of any communication provided to you as a result to help us begin our investigation as soon as possible. We may take the outcome of the criminal proceedings into account, however, we use a different threshold of proof based on the balance of probabilities. Please read section 1.14 of the Regulations for Research Students for more information.
13.3 No Contact Order and No Contact Agreements
13.3.1 If you are being investigated under a procedure within the student regulations, you may be asked to enter a no contact agreement as a preventative measure. This is voluntary between each party.
13.3.2 If you have been taken through an investigation under the student regulations, the investigator or panel may require you to enter a no contact order as part of your outcome. This is given for the safety of both you and the reporting party and may also help to prevent any further breaches of the community code of conduct.