KU Leuven: KU Leuven Academic Council approves new disciplinary regulations for students
The Academic Council of KU Leuven has approved new disciplinary regulations for students. The new regulations contain a list of possible violations and sanctions and the role of students in the disciplinary committee will also be strengthened. From now on, half of that committee will consist of students. The Vice Rector for Student Affairs will take up the chairmanship.
The disciplinary regulations describe for all students what behavior the university expects of them, with an emphasis on respect for the human person and society. Every student who enrolls at the university agrees to the disciplinary regulations. Anyone who does not comply with the disciplinary regulations risks a sanction.
The current disciplinary regulations have undergone a number of minor changes over the past ten years. The innovation that the university is now implementing is prompted, among other things, by incidents and procedures about forgery, procedures about transgressive behavior and the Reuzegom case. For the new regulations, the university builds on the existing regulations and practice, and drew inspiration from regulations of international partner universities. The approval by the Academic Council was the last step to definitively approve the new regulations, after several consultation rounds with students and at internal consultation bodies. The text was discussed several times at the Joint Bureau, the Education Council, the Diversity Council and the Academic Council, and there was also interim coordination with Stura,
Clear description of violations and sanctions
The new regulations are more extensive than the previous one. KU Leuven rector Luc Sels: “While the previous regulations mainly set principles, the new regulations also contain the details of these. What do we mean by those principles today? The future disciplinary committee can fall back on more extensive regulations, which better reflect today’s reality and which also lists possible violations and sanctions. ”
The new regulation provides for seven types of sanctions, instead of the current five. It is also no longer part of the Education and Examination Regulations of the university, but stands alone as a regulation, allowing for more flexible adaptation.
For and with students
With these new regulations, the university strengthens the role of students who also provided valuable input during the renewal process. From now on, half of a disciplinary committee will consist of students, not including the chairman. “We are pleased that we were closely involved at every stage of the review process and that most of our input was taken into account,” said Klaas Collin, chair of Stura, the KU Leuven student council. the students will also be given the responsibility to decide where the boundary lies and thus to assess the behavior of their fellow students, their peers . This parity in the disciplinary committee is a great step forward for us. “