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What to do before attending Disciplinary Panel Hearings
Read the Relevant Regulations/Procedures
Before the panel meeting, take some time to read the regulations or procedures you’ve been sent or signposted to. This will help you understand the process, what the panel will be considering, and the possible outcomes. Being familiar with the structure of the meeting can make the experience feel more manageable.
Consider taking Someone to the Meeting to Support You
You can take a supporter to a panel meeting to act either as a 'friend' or representative . This person must be UCL staff, Students’ Union UCL staff or a current UCL student.
One of our advisors can attend as your friend if you’d find that helpful. They can guide you through the formal process, accompany you to the meeting, and provide support throughout.
A supporter can offer moral and emotional reassurance, help ensure the procedure is being followed correctly, add relevant comments if you want them to and talk things through with you after the meeting.
Treat the Panel like an Interview
Although your appearance will not influence the outcome, it can help to show that you’re taking the meeting seriously. Approaching it with the same mindset as an interview can help you feel more prepared and confident.
Ensure that you Present Facts
The purpose of the panel meeting is to review the information that has been provided, to ask you questions about what has happened and to question the members of staff, where relevant, in order to determine the facts.
Be honest and open throughout. If you have any evidence that supports your account, it is helpful to bring it with you.
Try to Remain Calm
Panel meetings can feel stressful, but staying as calm as possible will help you communicate more clearly. The Chair will make an effort to put you at ease, the meeting is not a court of law, but a structured opportunity for the university to understand the situation fully.
If you start finding the meeting overwhelming, you are completely entitled to ask for a break, you should feel comfortable accepting a break if one is offered and your friend or supporter can help reassure you if you become upset.
If you become emotional, don’t hesitate to pause and take a moment to compose yourself.
Respect the Panel Members
Panel members are senior members of UCL and their role is to reach a fair and informed decision based on all the evidence, both written and verbal.
It is not helpful to be hostile, argumentative or patronising. Instead focus on establishing the facts and remaining calm.
To have reached a panel meeting, the allegation will have been found to be significantly serious for it to be taken through this process. Even if you think the matter is not very serious, it is best if you do not suggest the allegation is trivial and unimportant.
The Student Member on the Panel
There will be a student member on the panel, normally one of the Students' Union Sabbatical Officers. They have equal status with the other panel members. They are not there to speak on your behalf or argue your corner; their role is to represent the student body as a whole and the interests of all students.
Appealing a Decision
You can normally appeal a Panel decision, but you must meet specific grounds.
An Appeals Panel has the power to reverse or modify the outcome in any way, so not only could a penalty be reduced, it could also be increased if the Appeals Panel sees fit to do so.
If you need further advice before lodging an appeal, please contact the Advice Service to book an appointment.