Filing a complaint

If you decide to lodge a complaint about a student's behaviour, you must include the following in the complaint:

1. Full name of the student against whom the complaint is filed;
2. A description of the misconduct, including the date, time and place of the occurrence;
3. Names of witnesses (if available), an explanation of what they observed, and how to reach them;
4. Supporting documentation/evidence of the misconduct, including any documentation of meetings with the student regarding prior misconduct; and
5. Your name and contact information. Anonymous complaints will not be acted upon.

Once you have all of this information, send your written submission to the Student Conduct Officer via the online system (external link, opens in new window) .

The Student Conduct Officer will confirm receipt of your complaint.

In general, the investigation process moves relatively quickly - between one to three weeks - when the student(s) involved respond immediately to notices and requests for a meeting. If delays are anticipated, complainants will be notified.

All complaints are investigated following a fair and transparent process. All parties are kept up-to-date on the progress of an investigation and will be advised of potential outcomes.

1. Review of the complaint: The Student Conduct Officer first determines whether there is sufficient information to support a Code violation, and whether the misconduct is covered under the Code.
2. Notification and meeting with the complainant and respondent: If the conduct can be addressed under the Code, the Student Conduct Officer will connect with the complainant and the respondent - the student whom the complaint is filed against -  to discuss the matter.  Both parties will receive notification to meet with the Student Conduct officer.  The respondent will be provided with a written summary of the allegations.  The Student Conduct Officer will keep both parties aware of the progress of the investigation.
3. Application of interim measures: In cases where there are reasonable grounds to conclude that a student’s presence on campus poses a risk of harm to the community, then an interim measure of a temporary suspension or restriction from specific areas on campus can be applied for up to five working days.
4. Investigation and complaint resolution: As part of resolving the concerns, the Student Conduct Officer may speak to witnesses or any other relevant party. If it is determined that there was a breach of the Code, the Student Conduct Officer may resolve the concerns informally (usually, the respondent has taken accountability for the incident and agrees to a suitable remedy) or formally (the Student Conduct Officer imposes a sanction or remedy under the Code).
5. Notification of outcome: The results of the investigation and reasons for decision are normally communicated only to the person who made the complaint and the respondent. There may be circumstances were other offices of the university - such as Security or the Registrar’s Office - will need to be notified if penalties/remedies are to be implemented.