Disciplinary matters

What the notification must contain and information about the process can be found on this page and in the order of proceedings. If you are unsure of what to do, where the "line is" for reporting, contact the legal function.

An investigation of a suspected unlawful event can be seen as a quality assurance of the University's activities; Has the university been sufficiently clear about what is expected of the student and has the student taken responsibility for his/her studies and followed up on any ambiguities? In the event of a notification, there is a procedure for what it should contain. A form/template has been developed that you as a reporter can use.

• Procedure 2019/904
• Template - Notification to the Disciplinary Board

Legal prerequisites for disciplinary action

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, the university must take disciplinary measures against students under certain conditions. Normally, such matters are decided by the University's Disciplinary Board, but the Vice-Chancellor can make some simpler decisions himself.  As a teacher, you are obliged to report a student if you have "reasonable suspicion" that something illegal has happened. To help assess whether there is a well-founded suspicion, it is advisable that you as a teacher contact the student and tell them what you suspect and ask them to explain themselves. Preferably do this in writing, by e-mail or similar.

Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Higher Education Ordinance specifies the unlawful events that may lead to the University intervening with disciplinary measures. These can be divided into misleading (cheating cases), disturbance cases and harassment.

Deceptive (cheating cases)

The most common prohibited incidents are that one or more students plagiarize (copy) a text that someone else has written, collaborate in a way that does not correspond to the instructions for the assignment, or use cheat sheets or other prohibited aids on a written examination.

Disturbance cases

Disturbance cases are that a student interferes with or hinders teaching, examination or other activities within the framework of education at the university, or that the student interferes with the activities of the university's library or other special institution within the university, which may be, for example, a training environment at the hospital.

It is not possible to make a complete list of what disruptive cases can typically look like, but here are some examples. A student who actively tries to stop teaching in a specific subject area or destroys laboratory equipment. That a student has his or her mobile phone in his jacket pocket during a written exam, it rings and disturbs other students and the student does not turn off the sound but ignores the phone. If the student also uses the phone during the writing period, it may instead be a case of cheating. Other cases may be that a student does not follow the rules of conduct announced in written examinations and refuses to comply with the instructions. A student who refuses to show what aids he or she has brought to a written examination or similar can regularly be considered to have interfered with or hindered the activities. Criminal procedures can in many cases lead to disruption or obstruction of operations and can sometimes be handled as disciplinary matters, but usually it is primarily a matter for the police.

Harassment

Disciplinary measures may also be relevant if a student subjects another student or an employee at the University to harassment based on one of the grounds for discrimination below.

• Gender
• Transgender identity or expression
• Ethnicity
• Religion or other belief
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Age

Intent

Attempts at cheating, disturbance and/or harassment always require intent to do so. It is therefore not sufficient that the student "should have realised" that it was not allowed to do things in a certain way. It is therefore very important that the students are clearly explained before examinations the rules that apply to each examination or performance assessment, regardless of whether this takes place via written examinations, take-home exams, practical laboratory sessions and/or visual presentations. This is to avoid ambiguity about what is actually allowed and to ensure that the rules of conduct that apply to the university are clear.

Consequences

If, after reporting and subsequent investigation, a student is deemed to have done something illegal and is therefore convicted of a disciplinary violation, the possible consequences are a warning or suspension. If the investigation does not progress or if what the student is suspected of having done is not illegal, the case will instead be dismissed.

Warning

A decision on a warning means that the student has been convicted of a disciplinary offence but that, for various reasons, often for psychosocial reasons, it is not deemed necessary to impose such an intrusive sanction as suspension.

Suspension

A decision on suspension also means that the student has been convicted of a disciplinary offence, but that it is of such a nature, level or scope that a warning is not sufficient. The student may not participate in teaching, examinations or other activities within the framework of the education at the University. The student account and associated functions are suspended, it is not possible to borrow books from the university library, etc. Sometimes the student can also be prohibited from being on campus and/or another place decided by the university. A suspension normally runs for a continuous period, but it is possible to divide the suspension into two or more periods, but a total of no more than six months.

To be deprecated

The fact that a case is dismissed means that there will be no further investigation. There will also be no consequence for what the student has been suspected of.