Filing a complaint

If you decide to submit a complaint about a student's behaviour, you should aim to include the following in the complaint:

1. Full name of the student for 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. 

Once you have gathered all of this information, send your written submission to the student conduct officer via the online system (external link) .

The student conduct officer will confirm receipt of your complaint.

In general, the investigation process moves relatively quickly 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 for - 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 poses a risk of harm to the community, then interim measures may be applied. Please review the Code for more details. 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).
4. Notification of outcome: The results of the investigation and reasons for the decision are typically communicated solely to the person who made the complaint and the respondent. There may be circumstances where other offices of the university - such as Security Services or the Registrar’s Office - will need to be notified if sanctions/remedies are to be implemented.