Undergraduate Student Guide 2012-2013 - Selwyn College ...

appeals mechanisms, a junior member is not content with that process, he or she may appeal to the
Office of the Independent Adjudicator.
11.3.2 Appeals against a decision of the Board of Discipline
In accordance with Statute 24, a student who has been expelled by a decision of the Board of Discipline
has the right to appeal within 14 days to the College Council. The Council has the power to confirm, vary
or reverse the decision of the Board of Discipline. The current statute does not provide for appeals
against lesser penalties imposed by a Board of Discipline.
11.3.3 Appeals against a decision by the College Council to uphold a decision by the Board of
Discipline
A student whose appeal to the College Council is unsuccessful retains the right of appeal to the Office of
the Independent Adjudicator.
11.4 HARASSMENT AND BULLYING
Harassment and bullying can come in many forms. It can include persistent, undeserved criticism,
arbitrary or inconsistent demands, shouting, swearing, ridicule or humiliation. Bullying undermines a
person’s self-confidence or self-esteem and makes the recipient feel threatened, humiliated or
patronized. Its defining features are:
i) unwanted, offensive, intimidating or alarming behaviour;
ii)
causing a person distress, or creating a working environment of which a reasonable
person could justifiably complain.
It is important to note that harassment may amount to a criminal offence. Any form of harassment or
bullying on any grounds, but particularly on grounds of colour, race, nationality, ethnic origin, disability,
gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, is illegal.
Junior members
Any junior member of the College who believes him or herself to be a victim of sexual or other
harassment should not hesitate to discuss the matter with his/her Tutor, or any other Tutor or Fellow,
the College Nurse or the Chaplain, or the relevant officers of the JCRS or MCRS. Reports or complaints
involving solely junior members will be passed on for consideration to a monitoring Group consisting of the
Senior Tutor, a female Fellow, a male Fellow and another Tutor not involved with the junior member(s)
concerned, the three members of the Group other than the Senior Tutor being chosen by the Head of House.
The Head of House may also invite a person with suitable professional expertise from outside the College to be
a member of the Group. The Group will investigate and discuss complaints. It is hoped that many problems
will be resolved at this level. If not, then the Monitoring Group may refer the case to the Board of Discipline
(see above 11.2). Confidentiality will be respected whenever possible, although it must be realized that this will
become increasingly difficult the further a case proceeds.
Senior members
Reports or complaints concerning a Senior Member will be passed to an Ombudsman.
There shall be two Ombudsmen, one male and one female, and they will be senior members of the University
and will be appointed annually by the College Council; they shall be external to and independent of the
College. Complaints of harassment by a Senior Member may be made by any senior or junior member of the
College to any Tutor, Director of Studies, Fellow of the College, the College Nurse or the Welfare or Women’s
Officer of the JCR or MCR, who may refer the matter to one of the Ombudsmen. The College Council shall give
the Ombudsmen jurisdiction to investigate complaints made against senior members of the College; they will
be given powers to conciliate and settle them wherever possible.
The method of investigation which the Ombudsmen will use will be left entirely to their discretion, but the
subject of any complaint shall have the right to hear the substance of any allegation against them and to
62 Selwyn College Undergraduate Student Guide 2013-14