Rules regarding disciplinary measures for students at the University of Aarhus

Specified pursuant to section 14 subsection (6) of Danish Act no. 403 of 28 May 2003 on universities (hereinafter referred to as "the Universities Act"), and section 30 of Executive Order no. 867 of 19 August 2004 issued by the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation on examinations for university degree programmes ("the Examination Order").

Regulations etc .

Article 1. During the course of their studies at the University, students must behave in a considerate and orderly fashion with a view to ensuring the smooth running of the University’s activities.

(2) This means that students must consider the needs of other students and staff, and the University’s property, buildings and belongings, while they are on the University site. For instance, noisy behaviour, eating, drinking, smoking etc. are all forbidden if they cause inconvenience to anyone else in any way.

(3) In particular, students must observe the rules for good behaviour or safety that are posted on signs, notice boards etc., in laboratories, libraries, rooms used for teaching, examinations or meetings, in corridors and in canteens.

(4) Students must also observe all the rules laid down by the University or applying to the University, including rules applying to examinations.

Dealing with infringements

Article 2. Students must obey the instructions and directions of the University staff regarding observation of the rules mentioned in article 1 above.

Article 3. Cases arising due to infringements against the rules are normally dealt with by the manager responsible for the room or activity in question; i.e. the director of studies (problems connected with teaching), head of institute (problems in institute rooms), or dean (problems that are not the responsibility of a specific director of studies or head of institute).

(2) The manager concerned may summon the student to an interview about the issue in question, and may if necessary give the student a spoken or written warning against any repetition of the infringement.

Reporting to the rector

Article 4. In cases of repeated or serious infringements against the rules specified in article 1 above, including the rule about considerate and orderly behaviour, the manager may report incidents to the rector.

(2) In cases of presumed cheating at examinations that are noticed by the study administration or subject teacher of any subject, the director of studies will carry out a preliminary investigation (by obtaining a statement from the subject teacher or perhaps interviewing the student) and report to the rector if he/she believes that the suspicions of cheating have been confirmed. Presumed cheating noticed by examination invigilators, e.g. in connection with written examinations, will also be reported to the rector.

(3) Other gross breaches of academic discipline, including breaches of academic/ethical rules, will also be reported to the rector. For instance, this includes forging documents issued by the University, misusing data/computer hacking, unauthorised use of computer software, breaches of data security or the theft/misuse of other people’s research results or publications.

(4) An immediate report will be submitted to the rector regarding any criminal activities committed at the University (e.g. threats, violent behaviour, vandalism, arson, theft). This will be done partly so the rector can decide whether the activities should be reported to the police, and partly with a view to considering sanctions pursuant to article 5 below if the circumstances have an impact on the function of the University.

(5) Reports to the rector must be in writing, or else they must be accompanied as soon as possible by a written presentation of the case in a form suitable for use in presenting the issue to the student concerned.

Sanctions

Article 5. The rector has the following sanction options:

1. Issuing a warning
2. Dismissal from examinations
3. Expulsion from the University, either for a limited period or permanently

(2) Dismissal from examinations may occur if cheating or infringement of examination rules has been confirmed. Dismissal from examinations means that the student has used one examination attempt for the examination in question without being given a grade for his/her examination answer. Any grade that may already have been given is cancelled. Dismissal from examinations may include other examinations in the same semester (summer or winter examinations). If several examinations have to be passed in the same semester under the examination rules, dismissal from one examination means that the results of all these examinations will be cancelled.

(3) Expulsion from the University may occur in cases of gross or repeated infringement against the rules mentioned in article 4 (1-4) above if the rector deems it necessary to use this serious sanction to ensure the smooth operation of the University or the confidence of society in the examinations conducted at the University.

(4) Expulsion from the University means that the student’s name is deleted from the University’s list of student names and that the student must surrender their matriculation card and stop attending all activities at the University, including all teaching and examinations. The names of students expelled for a limited period will be included in the list again automatically once the period of expulsion has expired.

(5) When deciding whether students should be expelled, and whether expulsion should be for a limited period or permanent, the emphasis must be placed (among other things) on the specific damaging effects of the infringement for the University, any previous warnings that may have been given, the risk of repetition, the maintenance of respect for the work of the University, and whether the interests of the University can be secured by adopting a less drastic sanction.

Procedure

Article 6. The manager responsible shall ensure that the specifications of the Danish Administration Act are observed, including the right of students to make a statement before a decision is made.

(2) The manager responsible may ask the student to attend an interview to find out exactly what happened. The student is entitled to have an observer in attendance.

(3) The decision of a subordinate manager may be submitted to the rector. The rector’s decision may be submitted to the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation pursuant to section 34 subsection (1) of the Universities Act.

Applicability

Article 7. These rules come into force on 1 November 2004.

(2) The rules regarding disciplinary measures for students at the University of Aarhus of 30 September 1999 are hereby rescinded.

University of Aarhus, 6 October 2004

Niels Chr. Sidenius                         Tove Bæk Jensen

rector                                          administrator