Panel Hearing

Normally, you will be notified at least 10 working days in advance, with:

• A confirmed date, time, and place of the hearing

• The name of the three impartial Panel members

• A statement setting out the University’s case against you; with a copy of the evidence and documents submitted to the Panel

• The name of the person acting as the University Representative and any witnesses they will call

You'll receive a Panel Acknowledgement Form, confirming whether you:

• are able to attend the hearing date

• want to bring a Student Adviser, friend or Academic from Brunel

• want to call any witnesses at the hearing

If you are calling any witnesses, commenting on or providing evidence in the hearing, you will need to provide the following at least 5 working days in advance of the Hearing:

• written statements from your witness(es) setting out their contribution(s)

• a written submission of your own statement or documents

If you choose not to attend, the Chair of the hearing may decide to proceed in your absence.

Normally, Hearings take place virtually through Teams unless the student requests to have it in-person, for good reason e.g., reasonable adjustments.

You should receive a document called the ‘Order of Proceedings’, which outlines the how the hearing will be structured, usually it looks like this:

1. The Chair will introduce the proceedings

2. The University Representative will present the allegation of academic misconduct and may call witnesses, who will answer any questions from the Panel and the student

3. The student may respond to the University’s the allegation of academic misconduct and supporting evidence, and may call witnesses. They will answer questions from the Panel and the University Representative

4. The University Representative may make a closing statement

5. The student may make a closing statement

6. The Panel will retire in private to consider the case

The Panel - This consists of 3 people who are impartial - usually includes a Chairperson and normally one member of the Union of Brunel Students

Panel Secretary - They act as a note taker and advise the Panel on procedural matters, but are not involved in the decision making

The Chair- A member of the panel who directs the meeting and ensures the process is followed as written

University Representative- This is usually a member of staff (normally the Investigating Officer) who presents the case to the Panel.

Your case can be referred to a Hearing at any stage of the Misconduct process after your Investigation Meeting is complete and it is considered to be serious or complex enough. Once the Investigation Meeting is done, and you receive an invite to a Panel Hearing, make sure to:

• Keep an eye on your emails so that you receive all your invites and documents on-time

• Take some time to read through the Order of Proceeding, evidence and other documents

• Make sure you submit all written statements, forms and evidence by the deadlines stated - check out our prompts and tips for Writing a Response

• Contact the Advice Service if you need help writing a response, or want us to attend the Hearing with you

• Make sure you have submitted the most relevant and compelling evidence you can compile, such as draft copies of your work, notes and resources you have used

• Write some notes about the points you want to discuss to defend your case and the evidence which corresponds to each point

We know the day of the Hearing can be daunting and nerve-wracking. It's important to try and prepare as much as you can to reduce your stress and worries - consider the following:

• Plan to do something relaxing and calming before the Hearing

• Look through your notes and evidence

• Try to find somewhere quiet with stable internet connection

• If you have an Adviser attending with you, organise a call ahead of time to talk through any questions or nerves you have