Where someone is alerted to a serious behavioural issue, or something that may be a serious criminal offence, then this should prompt them to think a suspension may be needed.  This could be a disclosure from another student, witnessing something occuring, recieving information through another process e.g. mitigating circumstances, notification from the police.

In relation to criminal matters, not everything will necessitate a suspension.  There needs to be a risk from the behaviour or the criminal matter is interfering with a student's ability to student.

In the first instance someone should inform their local Authorised University Officer (AUO - see Reg XVII section 7). If the AUO agrees that a suspension may be needed, then the matter should be referred to the Division of Campus Life by emailing conductanddiscipline@manchester.ac.uk along with any material that supports the suspension request. 

If the information about the student concerned has come through a report from another student who has an involvement in the issues being raised, then you should seek the reporting student’s consent if including any of their sensitive personal data when notifying Campus Life.

When contacting Campus Life, it is good practice to complete and attach the Student Suspension Request Form.  The Form will guide you in terms of what information is needed.  It may be that emails / meetings with a student are needed before submitting the form to help inform the request.  However, suspensions are commonly made prior to an investigation or a final decision on a case, so it is not expected that there will be a substantive / definite evidence base or information gathering exercise prior to submitting the form.

If you are unsure about whether or not a suspension is needed, then contact conductanddiscipline@manchester.ac.uk for further advice in the first instance.

Common details that may be sought:

• Information about the alleged misbehaviour
• Who is involved in the case
• Welfare information about the reported student
• Programme information e.g. where is a student up to, can they study remotely, any upcoming exams
• Is the student living in halls
• Does the student have a study visa

Requests for suspension are submitted to the Division of Campus Life.  The Director of Campus Life (or nominee, usually within the Conduct and Discipline Team), will do an initial review of the suspension request to decide whether to recommend a suspension be implemented.  Further information may be requested before a decision can be made.

The Director of Campus Life may decide a suspension is not warranted under Regulation XVII.  If ths is the case, they will provide reasons and advice to the person making the request.

A suspension will be a combination of the following, either:

• Full - a student's registration is fully paused
• Partial - a suspension is needed, but this is comprised of conditions, and protects the student's ability to study.

And either:

• Immediate - a student is informed of the suspension without first having the opportunity to comment through the suspension process.  This is the more common scenario.  (Note, this does not prevent earlier engagement through an assessment stage).
• Non-immediate - a student is informed that a suspension is being considered and has the opportunity to comment prior to a decision being reached.  This route may be used when there are significant welfare concerns or there is very limited information about the case.

If the Director of Campus Life determines that an suspension is appropriate and necessary based on the circumstances of the case, the Division will recommend to the Director for the Student Experience that the reported student be suspended. If the recommendation is approved by the Director for the Student Experience then the reported student will be notified by the Division of Campus Life.

When a student has had the opportunity to make comments on a suspension, if the suspension then remains in place, they will have one opportunity to appeal against this decision within 10 working days to the Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students / Research.  In summary, he grounds for appeal are new material information that was not available before, procedural irregularity in the suspension process or disproportionality of the suspension.  The Vice-President will review the case on a documentary basis and will usually reach a final decision within 20 working days.  (Note: Where a suspension remains ongoing, this does not lead to Completion of Procedures).

A full suspension will cause a student to have their registration paused, whereas a partial suspension is made up of a variety of conditions.  A full suspension may still have conditions attached to it.

Where a student is going through criminal proceedings and is subject to bail conditions, these will take precedence over the University's conditions.  It is good practice to mirror the bail conditions and to also consider how the conditions affect a student's status at the University i.e. does the University need to go any further.  For example, a bail condition of non-contact with another individual on a student's programme, may actually mean that the student needs to be fully suspended to manage this condition.

Depending on the details of the case, a recommendation for suspension may include reference to certain conditions that may be considered necessary, for example:

• restriction of access to the University or a specified part thereof
• total or selective restriction of participation in University activities or access to University services (academic, residential, social or sporting facilities provided by the University) but with permission to sit University examinations
• prohibition from exercising the functions or duties of any office or committee membership in the University or the Students’ Union
• no contact with a named person or persons
• relocation within University-managed halls of residence, if determined to be necessary by Residential and Sport Services

This list is not exhaustive and suspension conditions are decided on a case-by-case basis.

When serious behavioural concerns are raised, or a suspension is requested, the Division of Campus Life will seek to respond as quickly as possible. The process of determining whether a suspension should be recommended will involve one or more of the following:

• a prima facie consideration of the material that supports the suspension request
• establishing that any reporting/impacted students have consented to their report being shared with Campus Life
• if required, an urgent case conference that may involve the University's legal team, the Counselling and Mental Health Service, ResLife, Security, the School or Department, external bodies (e.g. GMP) or others as appropriate
• a risk assessment carried out by Advice and Response colleagues, ResLife, or others as appropriate

Precautionary suspensions are rare and will only be approved when considered absolutely necessary for one or more of the reasons outlined at the top of this page. It is therefore very important that all options are explored before a suspension is recommended.  A suspension does not imply guilt or wrongdoing and the University has a responsbility to apply suspensions fairly and proportionately.  

 Please note that each case is different and timescales may vary, particuarly where a request requires further information gathering.

The timescales for the next stages of the process will be led by a case:

• Consideration of a suspension request to take place within 48 hours of receipt.
• Approval of a suspension to be considered within 48 hours of recommendation from Campus Life.
• Upon approval of a suspension - student notified with 48 hours.
• Student usually given 5 working days to attend meeting to make comments on the suspension.
• After meeting, decision confirmed within approximately 5 working days.
• Where a suspension is confirmed after the meeting, a student has 10 working days from written outcome letter to appeal to the Vice President for Teaching, Learning and Students / Research.

A suspension is unlikely to have clear duration and end date as matters are ongoing.  A documentary review can take place every 20 working days to consider any significant case developments which require the proportionality of the suspension to be revisted.  Where a student is held externally in custody for over 12 months, this may necessitate the student leaving the University.

Information regarding a student suspension is shared on a need-to-know basis, and will be shared with colleagues internally only for the purpose of putting the Regulation into effect (i.e. for deciding upon, facilitating, or enforcing the conditions of the suspension).

Where a suspension is being considered, information may be gathered and shared outside the Division of Campus Life, such as local School/Faculty Teaching and Learning or Welfare Teams, or other areas involved or with an interest in a case e.g. ResLife if the student is in halls of residence, the Students' Union if there is a activity related matter etc.

When a suspension is approved, the student will receive a notification letter, and this will be shared with the student's Head of School and a senior PS contact, along with the inidividual who made the original suspension request.  It is expected that the suspension, though not all the details of it, will need to be distributed further within a School/Faculty, such as relevant teams and a student's Academic Advisor / Supervisor.   

If the student has an allocated Advice and Response Caseworker, then they will be informed of the suspension, though not al the details of it.

If the case has arisen from a report from another student / member of staff, they can be informed of the suspension and any conditions relevant to them e.g. non-contact.

As soon as reasonably practicable, the student will be given an opportunity to meet with two colleagues from the Division of Campus Life to provide their comments on the suspension. It may be appropriate for a representative from the student's School to attend the meeting e.g. where there are complexities around a student's Programme.  After the meeting, the Division of Campus Life will review the student’s comments against the suspension.  A decision will then be reached and a letter issued.  As above, the letter will be shared with individuals as appropriate.  This may extend to the communications team where there is potential media interest in a case. 

If the student appeals, this will be shared with the appropriate Vice-President and individual(s) supporting them.  An outcome letter will be issued to the student and will be shared as above.

The Division of Campus Life will continue to review any suspension that remains in place and where there are updates that inidividuals needs to made aware of e.g. change to the suspension conditions, then they will be notified accordingly.

For a student subject to a suspension, they will be expected to limit their disclosure of their case to a need-to-know basis and to maintain confidentiality.  This is not intended to limit a student from seeking support e.g. counselling, speaking to their Caseworker, engaging with the Students' Union Advice Service.  However, students should carefully consider if it necessary and appropriate to tell someone else about a case, so that they can avoid compromising a case.

The Procedure for Suspending a Student is underpinned by Regulation XVII (Conduct and Discipline of Students) and should be used where there are serious behavioural/misconduct issues or concerns that may lead to disciplinary action.  Though issues of misconduct may overlap with welfare and professionalism, potential misconduct is the primary driver for a suspension under Regulation XVII.

If the over-riding factor in considering a suspension is related to a student's wellbeing or fitness to study, then the Policy on Support Health, Fitness and Return to Study should be used instead.  For example, a student who had an underlying health condition but which is interfering with their, and other's, study or University activities, is perhaps more aligned to Support to Study.

If the student is on a Programme leading to registration with a professional body, such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or nursing, then a decision should be made on whether the overrding issue is weighted more towards professionlism and patient safety rather than misconduct.  If the former, then the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health's Fitness to Practice Procedure should be followed.  For example, a student forging attendance signatures on placement could be both an issue of both misconduct and professionalism, but given the location and implications of the behaviour, it may more closely align with Fitness to Practice, whereas as student accused of sexual misconduct by another student could again be an issue for both processes, but is more likely to align with misconduct in the first instance.

Thought should be given to whether a suspension needs to be actioned or whether a student could instead request an interruption.  Suspensions are led by the University so this places more control around any conditions that may be expected of students and to manage possible return, whereas an interruption is more student-led. 

You can find out more about student suspensions by watching the session linked to below.

Student suspensions

If the link does not work, you can go to the University's Video Portal and search suspensions