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?

p.s. I'm not standing up for people potentially passing on COVID either.

I think it’s absolutely ridiculous and unfair.

A lot of organisations have rules about consequences if you bring the name of the company/firm/school/Uni into disrepute, especially if you have been more than adequately warned about it.

Exactly. They go to great lengths to cover up sexual assaults.

Not always. I knew of several students who were kicked out for sexual assaults at the university where I used to work. Such cases are not necessarily publicised for obvious reasons. Again, their parents generally pleaded that they were young, that they didn't know any better and that their lives shouldn't be ruined because of one little mistake.

Some universities are terrible at dealing with sexual assaults, racism etc, but some are actually very proactive. It's ironic that I am defending my former employer on this, as I was mightily pissed off with them when I left, but in some areas, I have to acknowledge that they adopted a clear stance of zero tolerance with regard to certain issues, and I commend them for that.

@Firstbellini

So if students convicted of a crime gets kicked out, is this also true of road traffic offences like speeding?

No. It's all about degree (excuse the pun!) and, more importantly, whether it might impact on the wider community.

So, in my experience, a Fixed-Penalty Notice for speeding warranted no further action, whereas a student who was convicted of Driving Under the Influence, Dangerous Driving, TWOC and Driving Without Insurance was expelled. Similarly, a Community Resolution Order for cannabis possession wasn't acted upon, whereas a conviction for Possession With Intent to Supply (Class A drugs) meant that student's university career was over.

Personally, I feel that these students' actions fall firmly in the wider impact category - what they did could've potentially harmed the thousands of students and staff who were able to control themselves and abide by the regulations during Lockdown (and don't get me on to the 'their brains aren't fully formed' bullshit that overindulgent parents were fond of spouting when they disagreed with our decisions - funny how the majority of students' brains were similarly impacted).

People who break the rules aren't losing their jobs as well as being fined.

Some are.

EG www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/sailors-face-the-sack-after-covid-rule-breaching-party-at-navy-base/ar-BB1cGRCp

www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/5519246/coronavirus-scotland-agency-worker-sacked-aberdeen-care-home/

www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/13874951/rita-ora-covid-lockdown-birthday-party/

CAn you tell us what uni this is so we can avoid it

Sorry - that last sentence should've obviously read 'funny how the majority of students' brains weren't similarly impacted'.

@BigSandyBalls2015

The more I think about this . The bit about ‘the host’ being fined £10K. Very few students live alone, they’re either in flats in halls or shared private houses, both involving other students so how did the police determine the host?

The person who issued invitations?

Unreasonable.

Lots of mumsnet still hate students I see.
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-police-officers-break-lockdown-rules-fined-b900407.html

IMO they should be held to a higher standard than students.

Not bullshit. The adolescent brain doesn't fully form until age 25 or thereabouts. Until then people are likely to be more impulsive and take risks. It's a fundamental part of the tasks of adolescence. So by forcing them to live in a risk averse way they are being denied their natural development.

The uni were out of order.

Lots of mumsnet still hate students I see

Don't see any hate. If it's true I think it's fine and DS1 is a University student.

Also don't know why we are now comparing students to policemen.

I don't hate students at all. Most of them are fabulous.

I'm not impressed with the small minority of students who give the vast majority a bad name, nor with the over-indulgent parents who attempt to justify the bad behaviour of their children by arguing that it's normal because they are young. It's incredibly insulting to all the other students who behave like responsible, functioning adults.

Fair - they are showing a complete disregard for the law and others so not surprised their uni's don't want them under their care.

It’s probably within their uni paperwork that they aren’t permitted to bring the uni into disrepute. They broke the law therefore doing so and as a result lost their place. Their own doing. Actions have consequences

@Sparklingbrook

Lots of mumsnet still hate students I see

Don't see any hate. If it's true I think it's fine and DS1 is a University student.

Also don't know why we are now comparing students to policemen.

Why don’t you understand why we are comparing students with policeman? I would have thought it was obvious?

Especially as I posted a relevant article with a clear sentence underneath it as to why.

Just because you have a son who is a student and think it’s fine, you don’t speak for every other parent or indeed posted on the issue.

The Portsmouth ones haven't been expelled. They were facing it apparently but haven't been.

The way the OP was written was as if this had actually happened.

@AlexaShutUp

I don't hate students at all. Most of them are fabulous.

I'm not impressed with the small minority of students who give the vast majority a bad name, nor with the over-indulgent parents who attempt to justify the bad behaviour of their children by arguing that it's normal because they are young. It's incredibly insulting to all the other students who behave like responsible, functioning adults.

Agreed.

I think they got the punishment under the law by way of the fines. The university doesn't need to add on and overstep IMO.

@Donkeydonut that's me told!

@KarmaNoMore

I don’t think it is too strict but it is a bit unfair, so many friends/family groups do the same and they hardly ever get the fines that they deserve.

I know of people that are doing 20 people at home every other weekend, group walks on the weekends they are not having a home party and have done so at least 3 times a month... not a single bloody fine, none whatsoever.

Indeed, so do I, all in the older age group but you can imagine the accusations of ageism if similar sort of insults were bandied around. ‘Entitled brats’, ‘spoilt’ etc.

@AlexaShutUp

I don't hate students at all. Most of them are fabulous.

I'm not impressed with the small minority of students who give the vast majority a bad name, nor with the over-indulgent parents who attempt to justify the bad behaviour of their children by arguing that it's normal because they are young. It's incredibly insulting to all the other students who behave like responsible, functioning adults.

I agree with that.

Actions have consequences

Honestly, this seems to be an incredibly difficult concept for some students and their parents to grasp. I don't understand all the whataboutery about other people breaking the rules either - universities are not responsible for police or MPs or political advisors, and they have no power to impose sanctions on these groups. They do, however, have a responsibility to enforce the codes of conduct that students sign up to.

[quote Sparklingbrook]@Donkeydonut that's me told! [/quote]
sorry, it’s kind of irritating when you get the faux confused questions when I think it’s pretty clear why I posted the article about police breaking the law.

It’s those confused emoji faces that get me.