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Higher education

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Original poster

Dd halls of residence party- disciplinary hearing today!

97 replies

Currysauceandchips · 06/05/2021 09:06

My dd returned to halls last Sat and a flatmate had a birthday party. Flatmate invited people from other flats and word got out and approx 30-40 people turned up.
The party had started when dd arrived back. She says she spent most of the evening in her room as she didn't really know anyone there, but went into the kitchen a few times for drinks/food etc.
Yesterday, she received a mail from the uni calling her to an urgent Zoom meeting about disciplinary action being taken against her! She has been advised to have someone with her, so we are joining the meeting too.
What does this mean? Someone has obviously named her as the organiser, which she swears she wasn't.
I have told her to speak to the birthday girl and tell her she needs to say it was her party.
My dd is terrified about getting a huge fine or being thrown off the course!
Any words of wisdom?

OP posts:
Daisysway · 09/05/2021 11:56

Totally agree with PP too.

I think some posters are incredibly niave. There have been loads of parties at Warwick during this year with police being called on a number of occasions because security can't handle the large parties (we are talking about 100 plus students).. The students have weather permitting held them outside accommodation. What are students expected to do... sniggers at going to the library!

Two of dds friends had uni fines and slapped hands... The biggest fine was shared between them because they felt it was unfair for one person to be fined.

Whilst I think there may have been risks of spreading the virus in December/January, campus universities like Warwick were probably low risk given its location and apart from Cannon Park shopping centre the only community likely to get the virus was the students...most of which had already had the virus.

These 18 to 21 year olds have worked incredibly hard... Studying online in what must be an incredibly boring and lonely environment... They are the last on the list to have the vaccine.. Give them some slack now we look to be through the worst.. These parties are surely less risk than ramming 60 odd kids on a school bus twice a day for up to 1hr.

Notsoaccidentproneanymore · 09/05/2021 12:07

At least your dd had found out quickly and hopefully it’ll be sorted with no consequences.

Ds2’s flatmate was involved in an ‘incident’ in their flat in halls in Feb. she has been through procedures and told she can’t stay in halls anymore.

Ds2 just happened to be in his room asleep when she asked him for help as the ‘incident’ had got out of hand. He’s still awaiting the outcome of the investigation and his involvement. After chasing it up 5 weeks ago he had an email saying he would hear something soon.

PresentingPercy · 09/05/2021 14:47

Campus students were never likely to spread anything to the vaccinated elderly or those in care homes who are now vaccinated. Who is being saved with these draconian measures. You can go on trains, the underground, and shop. Students won’t get near vulnerable people and they can get tested. Who wants to be a student right now? It’s like prison.

Xenia · 09/05/2021 20:40

It is an appalling breach of their human rights (and for all of us - today's news is we may be allowed to cuddle family members soon - big deal....) Also my son's friends all had covid last Autumn and are probably immune so the law does not even make sense for many people.

I have been following the rules as far as I remember just about all the time and the only people breaching them on our road is the NHS doctor. I saw loads of cars outside his house yet again today (and no one was in the garden as I would have heard them so they must all have been in his house and it won't have been a work meeting)

Dancingbea · 09/05/2021 20:51

This is so depressing. Kids cooped up in their rooms, interrogated and fined for having a party. They have sacrificed so much for this virus already.

PresentingPercy · 09/05/2021 21:08

It has surprised me how much a nation of rule followers we are. The government scares everyone and, bingo, control. Well not for much longer!

Kazzyhoward · 10/05/2021 07:58

@Dancingbea

This is so depressing. Kids cooped up in their rooms, interrogated and fined for having a party. They have sacrificed so much for this virus already.
It's worse than that. My son lives in campus accommodation in a flat of 8 people, which makes it their "bubble", i.e. a household. Most of the other campus accommodation is also in flats of more than 6, some as many as 16. The campus security don't let them go out together in groups over 6 - they won't be told that a household of 8 can legally go out together. They've even been stopped just walking around campus exercising or going to catch the bus to town and told to split up. No amount of telling them that they're in a household bubble will change their minds - they even show their key fobs showing the same flat, but security just don't care. Now the campus have some outdoor marquees for the campus bars/cafes - tables with six chairs - security won't let them move chairs so that all 8 of the flatmates can sit together, so only 6 can stay together. One of my son's flatmates has given up and gone home, so now there are 7 - so they can't all go out together as it would be a group of 6 with 1 person on a different table - in theory, but the outlets only accept "full" table bookings, so the odd one has to stay home!

That's the trouble, it's not just Unis following the law/rules - they're taking it further for their convenience to the detriment of the students. It's really no wonder a minority of students have stuck up two fingers and decided to hold their own parties (illegally) in their flats. They've been treated so badly by some Unis who've gone above and beyond the restrictions.

PresentingPercy · 10/05/2021 08:58

Power corrupts. It’s a very slippery slope to not removing rules when “normal” returns. What harm can socialising in their bubble outside on campus actually do?

Chemenger · 10/05/2021 10:14

I'm not sure I follow the problem with bars only allowing tables of six. Here in Scotland (and I acknowledge that maybe this is different in other parts of the UK) the current law is only six people per table in outside catering (from up to six households) and inside up to six from up to two households. University bars have to follow the law, just like anyone else.

user1497207191 · 10/05/2021 10:27

@Chemenger

I'm not sure I follow the problem with bars only allowing tables of six. Here in Scotland (and I acknowledge that maybe this is different in other parts of the UK) the current law is only six people per table in outside catering (from up to six households) and inside up to six from up to two households. University bars have to follow the law, just like anyone else.
Per gov.uk

"You can meet in a group of 6 or a larger group of any size from up to 2 households (including their support bubbles) outdoors."

Some uni security staff are going above and beyond the restrictions and basically making things up as they wish.

www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do

user1497207191 · 10/05/2021 10:30

@PresentingPercy

Power corrupts. It’s a very slippery slope to not removing rules when “normal” returns. What harm can socialising in their bubble outside on campus actually do?
It's probably just the usual "Jobsworths" who love the power they think they have. Unfortunately, at some Unis, their security staff fall into the "jobsworth" category. When someone feels unfairly targeted when they're actually complying with the rules and doing nothing wrong, they're more likely to think "sod it" and ignore the rules.
Comefromaway · 10/05/2021 10:34

@Chemenger

I'm not sure I follow the problem with bars only allowing tables of six. Here in Scotland (and I acknowledge that maybe this is different in other parts of the UK) the current law is only six people per table in outside catering (from up to six households) and inside up to six from up to two households. University bars have to follow the law, just like anyone else.
If there are 7 people in your household it's rather hard on one person who has to be left behind.
Jannetra17 · 10/05/2021 11:27

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SeasonFinale · 10/05/2021 18:19

Why didn't they just split into 4 and 4?

PresentingPercy · 11/05/2021 00:13

Not the same is it? Young people like their big tables!

Ollinica · 11/05/2021 02:17

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted

SeasonFinale · 11/05/2021 19:23

DS manages to get 2 adjacent tables with his friends and they can still all talk together. Just seems a bit strange/off that 6 would dump the other 2 now 1!

PresentingPercy · 11/05/2021 21:13

Maybe they take it in turns to be “the one?”

looptheloopinahulahoop · 16/05/2021 18:25

@SeasonFinale

Why didn't they just split into 4 and 4?
I was thinking the same, or just go out in pairs and then meet down the road.

And how are security stopping them from going out? They can't physically touch them.

Xenia · 16/05/2021 19:08

My son's friend recently had a neighbour report that there were too many students in one flat. The police came - one was lovely and the other gave his friends a massive telling off and took names and addresses - there were only about 8 people in there but I expect the neighbour disliked students so was waiting to pounce and report. Everyone present had had covid and was probably immune although I think it was 2 households inside so was illegal in England.

a8mint · 06/06/2021 20:23

'also agree with others that by being at the party, being one of the flat’s residents and knowing about it, she’s culpable to a lesser or greater degree.'
She was 'at the party' because she was using the property which is paying a lot of money to live in. I would be getting legal advice if it were my dd

PresentingPercy · 07/06/2021 08:47

Do we know what happened after the hearing?

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