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?

gosh.

fines yes definitely, they are quite steep on a student income so good deterent.

thrown out for a first offence? not sure. second offence yes.

@ssd

Anyway I dont actually think this is true

If you Google it you will find it. I did.

@Cotbedy - can you link to the article pls?

Ridiculously harsh.

@CuriousaboutSamphire - can you link, pls?

If true then yes I agree this is excessive. The fine was sufficient. They have probably all had coronavirus anyway - both my DD and all her friends at uni and anecdotally all my friends' DC at uni have had it. They probably also live in close quarters anyway. That number is normal for a single halls kitchen.

Yes its rubbing it in people's faces a bit, but get real, students have not stopped socialising and having parties and who is to say their risk assessment is wrong.

FYI I'm not saying I agree with it.

But people arguing that it doesn't happen in workplaces aren't strictly correct - breaking the law and being fined or imprisoned for it can have consequences for your working life.

Too many points can mean you can't get a driving job.
Failing a CRB check can mean you can't work with vulnerable people.
Poor financial history can have an impact on your job if you want to work in finance or debt.

People are focusing on the fact that these students were fined because of COVID, but it's always been the case that you can be kicked out of university (or private school) for breaking the law or bringing the establishment into "disrepute". This isn't a new thing that's only happening now.

So surprised at all the ‘it’s reasonable’ votes. Someone posted a few months ago that her neighbour (an MP) was having a party and the overwhelming consensus was that she should keep her beak out.

I think it’s unfair we hold students to higher account than elected politicians.

I think the fine was fair enough but it’s awful that they’ve been kicked out.

@sunflowersandbuttercups
Someone posted a more recent one..same uni..

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

Sounds like an urban myth to me. The fines bit I believe. They must have done something else not just broken Covid Rules, drunk and disorderly, drugs??

This Covid has most certainly conjured up a lot of smug me and mine are alright Jack little Hitlers.

Well done that Uni!!!

So those that say that the Uni was correct, also believe rule breakers should also lose their jobs too and thrown into debt?

Because that is what in effect, has happened, they will now have to sign on (highly unlikely to be able to get a job) plus they are also saddled with £1000's in loans.

The Law specifies a fine, not losing your future career as well.

I hope they appeal and get reinstated.

[quote LetsGoFlyAKiteee]@sunflowersandbuttercups
Someone posted a more recent one..same uni..

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-56204899[/quote]
Thanks!

Assuming its the Portsmouth Uni case
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-55888200

They kids took the piss
they KEPT having parties in a big hall in the centre of the city where they could be heard and seen.

After the last bust, a month ago, they were told that they would be expelled.
It has now happened.

I assume that OP's husband was one of the police officers who spoke at the University disciplinary hearing.

So no one knows which university or any of the facts but thinks they know enough to decide it's too harsh or fair?

"Face permanent exclusion" is a threat rather than an act.
It is like saying someone faces prison, it doesnt mean they have been actually been sent there.

My bad
YET ANOTHER party in the same hall

idiots.

@iwantmysay

So those that say that the Uni was correct, also believe rule breakers should also lose their jobs too and thrown into debt?

Because that is what in effect, has happened, they will now have to sign on (highly unlikely to be able to get a job) plus they are also saddled with £1000's in loans.

The Law specifies a fine, not losing your future career as well.

I hope they appeal and get reinstated.

I don't think it's right.

But it's ALWAYS been the case that if you break the law, you can be kicked out of university. It's not new and it's not unique to COVID.

Universities are private establishments, not state schools. If you break the contract you sign when you start, they don't have to let you stay. I know people around 2010 who were kicked out for bringing the university "into disrepute" and breaking the law. It just wasn't COVID related so it didn't hit the news and cause the same outrage this had.

Field trip abroad, yr 2 uni, compulsory module. 3 classmates trashed their room. As had been made very clear before the trip, unacceptable behaviour would not be tolerated. They had to make own way back to uk and failed the module which meant they couldn't progress to final year. Same for these students, they'd been warned!

@iwantmysay

So those that say that the Uni was correct, also believe rule breakers should also lose their jobs too and thrown into debt?

Because that is what in effect, has happened, they will now have to sign on (highly unlikely to be able to get a job) plus they are also saddled with £1000's in loans.

The Law specifies a fine, not losing your future career as well.

I hope they appeal and get reinstated.

I suppose it's because they're in halls on Uni premises, @iwantmysay .

If I worked for a hotel and had parties in staff quarters, then yes, I would expect to be open to dismissal. If I had the party at my own home, then no.

I expect the same rules apply to the students - and the unis are VERY clear that this is a potential sanction they will face if they breach COVID rules.

OP says they were kicked off their courses, that report says faces exclusion

The vice chancellor of Portsmouth Uni - Prof Graham Galbraith - earns £323000 pa.

He doesn't have to worry about a student loan.

I think it's reasonable. The students at the university near me are having enormous parties all the time and consequently the rates of Covid in the area are enormous. Way, way above national average. I won't even go into my nearest supermarket as it's the one they use. It's bullshit. I've been on lockdown for the last year too. So has my DS. He missed a massive chunk of schooling his normal Easter activities, our usual summer trips, he couldn't have an 8th birthday party which is a pretty big deal at his age, he missed so, so much of our usual Christmas outings. At 8, when who the fuck knows how much longer he'll believe in Santa. He misses his extracurricular activities. He misses his friends. And he takes it all on the chin with good grace.

I feel sorry for students, it's a shit way to spend your university years. But it's a shit way for me to spend my kid's childhood. It's a shit way for my kids to spend his childhood. It's a shit way for my parents to spend their DGS's childhood. A shit way for my 90 year old grandmother to spend what are in all likelihood the latter years of her life. It's shit for all of us. Just because it's shit for you, doesn't mean you actually get to act out and make it shitter and longer lasting for everyone else. Actions have consequences.

@RedRiverShore

OP says they were kicked off their courses, that report says faces exclusion

Same thing, just different wording.