What happens after the Investigating Officer submits his or her report to the Dean? What’s the role of the Hearing Officer?

For a detailed explanation of what happens after the investigation process and the role of the Hearing Officer, please see Section C.1. and C.2. of the Code of Student Conduct as well as the Memorandum of Procedures for Hearings arising from the Code of Student Conduct on page 11 of the Code. 



If based on the Investigating Officer’s report, the head of the Division (“Dean”) believes the non-academic offence was committed, the Dean may request that a hearing take place. The Dean will correspond with you in writing, providing detailed information on the nature of the complaint, the offence alleged and the date, time and location of the hearing. The notice shall indicate that if you do not appear at the hearing, the hearing may proceed in your absence.

A Hearing Officer  presides over non-academic discipline hearings. Hearing Officers are appointed by the council of each Division to decide complaints under the Code made against student members of that Division. After a hearing, the Hearing Officer rules on whether you committed the offence alleged and may impose one or more sanctions . You may be assisted and represented by another person, who may be legal counsel.

If a Divisional Hearing Officer is unable to conduct a hearing, or where the Dean believes on reasonable grounds that the appointed officer is inappropriate to chair a particular hearing, then the Dean shall seek an appointment of a Hearing Officer from the central pool .

If the Dean intends to request either suspension from registration or expulsion from the University as a sanction in a particular case, or if the case appears to the Dean to require a Hearing Officer with legal qualifications (a lawyer), then the Senior Chair of the University Tribunal may, on the application of the Dean, appoint a legally qualified person as Hearing Officer for the particular case.

Appeals against the decision of the Hearing Officer may be made to the Discipline Appeals Board of the Governing Council.

*Accused Students from Multiple Divisions
Where a Dean has reason to believe that a non-academic offence may have been committed by you and a group of students including students from that Dean’s Division and from one or several other Divisions, the Dean may consult with the Dean(s) of the other Division(s) involved and may then agree that some or all of the cases will be heard together by the Hearing Officer of one of the Divisions agreed upon by the heads.