Students thrown off course for throwing a party.

[Cotbedy]

Basically, a load of students held a party of around 16/17 people. They got reported, they all got a £400 fine, apart from the host who got a £10,000 fine.

Then their Uni kicked them all off their courses for bringing the Uni into disrepute.

I think this is probably a fair and reasonable punishment, but DP thinks the Uni have gone too far and they're being unfair.

I'm curious to hear others' thoughts on the matter! Fair or unreasonable?

And it is happening after repeated warnings, not quite the same as being caught at a party and being expelled after one offence.

They clearly aren't taking their education seriously enough if they think they can risk being in hospital for weeks or months for the sake of a party.

I suppose it's because they're in halls on Uni premises

Uni premises that they pay at least 5k per year for, so basically their own private space, unlike say a party at work.

Now if the party was in a lecture hall etc then fair enough.

If this is true then I think it is not appropriate. Students might have broken the law but a criminal offence does not mean in most cases you are thrown off a course。 There are many students with a criminal record who are on courses. People in employment do not loose jobs for this type of breach

They’ve been fined, that’s the law applying to everyone.
Do unis kick out all students who ever receive fines about anything

If they break the law, yes, students might well be kicked out, particularly if that law-breaking involves endangering others. In this case, the "bringing into disrepute" isn't an abstract thing but relates to a lot of damage that has been done this year to universities' relationships with local communities who have seen Covid rates since October, with students visibly partying away.

Ime, students never expect to be kicked off their courses. When I worked in a university, students were kicked out for various misdemeanors - drug dealing, sexual assault, racist comments on social media, serious damage to property etc. In almost all cases, the students and their parents would plead immaturity/ignorance of the likely consequences etc, and expect another chance. I think a lot of young people and their families need to realise that students are adults and there are consequences to their behaviour. Being "young" is not an adequate defence, because the vast majority of students manage to obey the law/follow the rules despite their tender years.

Actions have consequences

Totally fair, they knew what the consequences would be in advance so I don't understand why anyone thinks it was harsh.

@iwantmysay

I suppose it's because they're in halls on Uni premises

Uni premises that they pay at least 5k per year for, so basically their own private space, unlike say a party at work.

Now if the party was in a lecture hall etc then fair enough.

It's not a private space though - they're paying rent to stay there while they're attending the university. If I broke the law whilst staying in work-owned accommodation, or on a work funded trip, would expect to face consequences above any legal ones.

An appropriate way to handle this is that in addition to the Covid fines that the students received, the University could have issued them with a written formal warning regarding their conduct. Throwing them off their course is grossly unfair and disproportionate. I'd like to know which Uni so that I can make sure that my dc do not apply to it

@iwantmysay

I suppose it's because they're in halls on Uni premises

Uni premises that they pay at least 5k per year for, so basically their own private space, unlike say a party at work.

Now if the party was in a lecture hall etc then fair enough.

They do pay a lot for them, @iwantmysay , but they are subject to the uni rules and T&Cs while in them.

Is your child one who's been thrown out?
Multiple warnings for a serious breach when sanctions are clear seems rather a weird situation to get riled up about, to be honest.

@iwantmysay

I suppose it's because they're in halls on Uni premises

Uni premises that they pay at least 5k per year for, so basically their own private space, unlike say a party at work.

Now if the party was in a lecture hall etc then fair enough.

Private space that other students live in, who the university also has a responsibility to. Contrary to popular belief, not all students are unbothered by the possibility of catching Covid, and they are entitled to live in accommodation where their flatmates aren't breaking the law.

@LimitIsUp

An appropriate way to handle this is that in addition to the Covid fines that the students received, the University could have issued them with a written formal warning regarding their conduct. Throwing them off their course is grossly unfair and disproportionate. I'd like to know which Uni so that I can make sure that my dc do not apply to it

But they were warned that they'd be expelled if they did it again - they did it again, and so that was the consequence.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-56204899

If they were living in university accommodation, then I would think it fair - at least for the ringleaders. They would not only be endangering others at the university , but others in the community (our city experienced a spike in the early autumn which was linked to a huge student party) and possibly damaging the relationship between the university and the locals.

However, for students living at home and studying online, I think it's excessive, unless there are serious aggravating circumstances. It looks a little bit too much like punishing people for just getting their actions reported in the press. And the press should not have that degree of power over people's lives.

@SplendidSuns1000

They clearly aren't taking their education seriously enough if they think they can risk being in hospital for weeks or months for the sake of a party.

Yes because clearly many teens and twenty somethings have been hospitalised for weeks and months with covid

I lived in uni halls for 4 years. Pretty sure the contract said you were at risk of being kicked out if you used them for illegal activity.

What do you think of students who take / sell hard drugs in halls, @iwantmysay ? Should the uni let them stay on, too?

Thanks sunflowersandbuttercups - I hadn't appreciated that there had been previous issues. My sympathy has waned

@LimitIsUp

An appropriate way to handle this is that in addition to the Covid fines that the students received, the University could have issued them with a written formal warning regarding their conduct. Throwing them off their course is grossly unfair and disproportionate. I'd like to know which Uni so that I can make sure that my dc do not apply to it

I’d be the opposite and would be more inclined to use them knowing they were taking the virus and risks to others seriously.

Ah, I see that they were in student halls. That does make it more justified,

Dominic Cummings. Has he been fined yet, or imprisoned for fraud?

@LimitIsUp

Thanks sunflowersandbuttercups - I hadn't appreciated that there had been previous issues. My sympathy has waned

No worries :) the link wasn't posted until quite far down!

@wanderings

Dominic Cummings. Has he been fined yet, or imprisoned for fraud?

Did he have a party in uni halls with around twenty other people? Don't see the comparison.

I think it's too much - the fine and being kicked out of halls should have been the limit of it.

I've not read the whole thread. Warning for a rant..

I live in a property where there are students who have been throwing parties since last March. I tied the police, uni, landlord. All I ever got back is a lecture about needing to be more understanding.

I'm sheilding. There's literally signs on the door saying only people who live here are to come in due to a sheilder living in the property. It's just ignored. I've been forced to replace it several times, likewise the one on my door which keeps having abusive messages put all over it.

Eventually my landlord had a word after my next door neighbour complained (NHS worker married to a uni lecturer with very young children) about a party that went on past 3am and even spilled out into the garden. The landlords response to them was to tell them to have a little more understanding for how hard it is for students (as they have before). Wrong thing to say. Next time they'll report to the police and uni and push for them to be expelled. Then and only then did they say they'd have a word. And this has been going on frequently for almost a year now with repeated reporting so not "one off".

Ever since I've been subject to abuse for being unfair to them, by them and their parents who seem to feel her right to throw a party in a tiny flat which means it spills into communal areas is perfectly acceptable so she can get the "full uni experience".

Seriously. No one needs a bloody party, especially not when essential medical and social care assessments are still being denied to people due to covid risk.