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Student Conduct: Your Rights and Responsibilities (400 kb, PDF)
Preamble
Students at the University of Manitoba have an obligation to act in a civil, respectful, and responsible manner toward all members of the U of M community. This is further demonstrated in the seven guiding principles established by the University of Manitoba Students’ Union and Student Affairs:
- to practice personal and academic integrity;
- to respect the dignity and individuality of all persons;
- to respect the rights and property of others;
- to take responsibility for one's own personal and academic commitments;
- to contribute to our community for fair, cooperative and honest inquiry and learning;
- to respect and strive to learn from differences in people, ideas, and opinions;
- to refrain from and discourage behaviours which threaten the freedom and respect that others deserve
Policy Statements
Conduct policies
If You Are Accused of Non-Academic Misconduct
What To Do
What NOT To Do
What Happens Next?
What Are the Possible Resolutions or Outcomes?
Appeals
What should I do if I observe or experience inappropriate behaviour?
The University of Manitoba is committed to creating a safe, respectful and civil working and learning environment, as embodied in the following policy statements:
“…students have an obligation to act in a fair and reasonable manner toward their peers, the faculty, staff, administration and the physical property of the University. Academic integrity and personal conduct, both on-campus and off-campus, are critical elements in achieving these goals.”
(Student Discipline By Law,
http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/students/discipline)
“… an environment free from human rights discrimination or harassment, sexual harassment and personal harassment”
(Respectful Work and Learning Environment, section 2.4,
http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/230.htm)
“.. the University will not tolerate threats, intimidation, or violence.”
(Violent or Threatening Behaviour policy, section 2.0,
http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/669.htm)
The purpose of this brochure is to:
- Help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a student and the conduct expected of you as a member of the U of M community.
- Provide you with information about what to expect if you are accused of breaching a U of M non-academic misconduct policy.
- Offer advice for how you should respond if you feel you have been harassed, threatened, or treated disrespectfully by a member of the U of M community.
Student Rights
In any disciplinary investigation, students have the right to:
- know the allegation made against them
- have an opportunity to respond and be heard before a decision is made
- appeal a disciplinary decision that is made against them
- have a representative from the Student Advocacy office (or another designated representative) assist them through the process
Student Responsibilities
Students are responsible for knowing and following the appropriate conduct expected of them as members of the U of M community.
The following conduct policies are in place at the U of M to outline what is and what is not considered appropriate behaviour:
Respectful Work and Learning Environment
http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/230.htm
Inappropriate or Disruptive Student Behaviour
http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/students/279.htm
Violent or Threatening Behaviour
http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/669.htm
Use of Computer Facilities
http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/community/252.htm
Student Discipline By Law
http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/students
If You Are Accused of Non-Academic Misconduct
If you have been accused of non-academic misconduct, you will normally receive a letter from the person responsible for investigating the matter who will invite you to attend a meeting. This letter may be from the head of a department or faculty, or it may be from a university administrator. Alternatively, you may be requested verbally to attend a meeting to discuss the alleged misconduct.
It is important to remember that at this point, you have not been found guilty of inappropriate behaviour. During this investigation stage, you will be provided with an opportunity to explain your perspective on the situation that has occurred before any final decision is made.
You should consult the Student Discipline By Law http://www.umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/students as it provides you with information about the process and your rights in these situations.
There are also several services available to assist you with knowing your rights and the process in these situations, including:
Student Advocacy
519 University Centre
204-474-7423
student_advocacy@umanitoba.ca
Equity Services
515 Drake Centre
204-474-7491
http://umanitoba.ca/equity
University of Manitoba Students’ Union
Vice-President, Advocacy
101 University Centre
204-474-6524
vpa@umsu.ca
Graduate Students Association
221 University Centre
204-474-9181
http://www.umgsa.ca/
Following the directions in the letter and seeking assistance will make the process go more quickly and efficiently for you, and will prevent unnecessary problems from arising.
What NOT To Do
These situations can be very stressful and upsetting for students who are accused of misconduct. It is important that you respond appropriately and respectfully when you receive these letters. The following are examples of inappropriate responses to receiving a letter:
- Contacting the person who wrote the letter and demanding to see them immediately. It is important that you give yourself time to calm any angry feelings and seek out services that can help you. By reacting inappropriately, the situation may be made worse. It is in your best interest to approach this in a calm and responsible manner.
-
Contacting an office that is not normally involved in these matters in the initial stages (i.e., university senior administration). These offices will only be able to refer you to one of the offices listed above and will only delay the situation; consequently this may create more stress and frustration on your part.
It is a normal reaction to be angry and upset in this type of situation. There are many services that can provide assistance to students under stress, such as:
Student Counselling and Career Centre
Fort Garry Campus Bannatyne Campus
474 University Centre S207 Basic Medical Sciences Building
204-474-8592 204-789-3857 or 204-474-8592
By working with a Student Advocate, you will be able to go into a meeting better prepared.
You (and your Student Advocate) will be asked to attend a meeting with the investigator to respond to the allegations and answer any questions relating to the incident(s) in question. Subsequent meetings may be scheduled if further information is required.
You may be asked to formally prepare a written response to the information in the letter you received (either before or following the meeting). It is advisable to do this in advance of the meeting to help organize your thoughts on the situation and help you prepare better for the meeting. Your Student Advocate will be able to help you with this.
After the meeting has taken place, you will receive a written letter from the investigator explaining his or her decision. This letter will indicate whether a university conduct policy has been breached and if so, what the outcome will be. This letter will also contain important information about penalties, appeal procedures, and other options.
You should follow up immediately with your Student Advocate to discuss the outcome and your options at that point.
What Are the Possible Resolutions or Outcomes?
For student discipline matters, most conduct policies cross-reference the Student Discipline By-Law for determination of penalties. The Student Discipline By-Law outlines possible penalties that can be imposed if it is determined that a conduct policy has been breached. These can range from:
- Written reprimand or warning placed in a student’s student file
- Suspension from one or more lectures in a course
· Debarment from a course (if the incident involves a specific course). This will usually result in a notation of “F-CW” on your transcript for that course. “CW” stands for “Compulsory Withdrawal”
- Notation on the student’s transcript
- Suspension from registering as a student at the U of M for a specified period of time
- Expulsion from a Faculty or the University (for a definite or indefinite period of time)
- Loss of privileges
- Fine
- Restitution
- Ban from campus property (i.e., certain buildings and/or the entire campus)
Depending on the severity of the incident(s) or other circumstances that may apply, students may be given alternative resolutions such as volunteering time toward a specific event or office on campus, participation in workshops or other educational opportunities, and/or remedial work.
Special conditions for future behaviour may be included with any of the above outcomes.
According to the Student Discipline By-Law, there are specified avenues of appeal to students. The Student Advocacy office can provide information about appeals and assist students with an appeal process.
What should I do if I observe or experience inappropriate behaviour?
Where the incident occurs, and what the behaviour is, will determine where you should go to report a complaint. It is important that you do, in fact, report any inappropriate, disrespectful, or threatening and violent behaviour immediately. It is important to know that if you are accused of inappropriate behaviour, you continue to have rights, including the right to feel safe campus and to bring forward a complaint if you feel unsafe.
The following are places where you can report an incident:
Security Services
Services Building (Dafoe Road)
Emergency Phone 555 (from any U of M phone)
or #555 (from an MTS or Rogers cell phone)
Phone: 204-474-9312
Housing & Student Life
110 Pembina Hall
204-474-9942
Or
101 Arthur Mauro Residence
204-474-9922
Academic Computing and Networking
E3-635 Engineering Information and Technology Complex
204-474-8600
Equity Services
515 Drake Centre
204-474-7491
http://www.umanitoba.ca/equity
Student Advocacy
519 University Centre
204-474-7423
student_advocacy@umanitoba.ca
Your Faculty General Office
Consult the U of M website or General Course calendar for contact information.