Page
2
of
6
Criminal Convictions Policy and Procedure for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Admissions – July 2016
may be required to provide additional information of convictions beyond that required under
this policy, and such additional information may prevent an applicant from entering a
programme
3
. Students on some degree programmes may not need to provide such information
during the application process, but will need to provide additional information on convictions
at the point that they seek to join a professional body during or at the end of their degree
4
.
3.
Failure to disclose relevant and where appropriate additional convictions for particular
programmes may have serious consequences including termination of studies and students are
reminded that it is their duty to disclose all information in relation to these matters at the
earliest opportunity.
Principles
4.
The University has a reputation for excellence in all aspects of its operations. In defence of this
reputation, the University seeks to discharge the duty to protect, as far as it is within its power,
the personal security of all members of the University (staff and students), visitors and
members of the wider community within which the University operates from the risk of loss,
harm or injury caused by the criminal behaviour of any students. For this purpose, all offers
are conditional upon satisfying the policy on relevant and any additional convictions.
5.
The application process requires applicants to disclose relevant unspent convictions.
All applicants
who declare relevant criminal convictions should be treated with respect and fairness,
regardless of the type of conviction they disclose. No applicant shall be automatically excluded
from the application process on the grounds that a relevant criminal conviction has been
declared.
6.
In every case where an applicant discloses a relevant criminal conviction during the
application process, the University will rigorously seek to apply the procedure described.
However, it is recognised that the scale of applications is such that, exceptionally, the issue of
relevant convictions may be initially overlooked, or a relevant conviction may occur and
therefore be disclosed after the offer is made. In such a case, when the issue is identified after
an offer is made and before enrolment, the procedure described below will be applied from the
time that the issue is subsequently identified.
7.
An applicant may be rejected on the grounds of a relevant criminal conviction, regardless of
academic merit, if the outcome of the procedure described below is that rejection is judged
necessary to discharge the University’s duty set out in paragraph 4, above, and thus protect the
University’s reputation.
8.
Undergraduate and Postgraduate admissions selectors are required to comply with any decision
made under this policy and procedure, whatever their academic decision in a particular case.
9.
Since all offers of admission to study at the University are conditional as described in 4 above,
the University may withdraw an offer to study or exclude from the University any student
where either there is a failure by an applicant to disclose a relevant criminal conviction during
the application process or an offer has been made or a place taken up despite disclosure but
when the procedure described below has not been applied to the issue of relevant or additional
convictions.
3
This applies to the degree of BA Hons Business Accounting and Finance
4
This includes, for example, Law students applying to join a Legal Practice Course, and students applying for
registration with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales or the Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants