What to expect in an investigation meeting

Preliminary investigations may require both reporting students and responding students to meet with an investigator (this will never be at the same time).

Students are not obligated to give an interview, and the College cannot compel students to attend.

In most cases, the reporting student will be interviewed first.

The College will take steps to try and avoid the reporting student and responding student coming into contact with one another while an investigation is taking place.

Accompanying person

Students attending these meetings will be allowed to bring someone with them to support or advise them. This may be a friend, peer, or someone from the SU advice team or a Wellbeing advisor.

It is not envisaged that a student would need to bring a legal representative, but in more serious cases the College may allow a student to bring external legal representation to meetings/interviews, but prior permission must be sought.

During the interview

The person conducting the interview will allow the student to give their version of events and will ask questions where appropriate.

Minutes

A minute taker will be present, writing down everything said in the meeting by all parties, all information gathered at meetings and via reports are kept as strictly confidential and will not be shared outside of the appropriate parties involved.

The minutes will be sent to the interviewer and the interviewee.  They will be given time to read them and notify the case officer from the Student Casework team of any changes they would like to make to the document.

Once (if any) changes have been agreed, the student will be given the opportunity to confirm that the minutes are a fair and accurate recording of the meeting, which will be stored on record.

How the interview will be used

The contents of the interview will be used as evidence in the preliminary investigation to determine if a student has breached the College’s conduct regulations.