It can be very distressing if a report of bullying, harassment, or sexual misconduct has been made against you. The Royal College of Music will not make assumptions and will not consider a person ‘at fault’ until the report has been investigated. All those involved in a complaint will be treated fairly and offered advice and support. Where a serious allegation has been made, the Royal College of Music may decide to put precautionary measures in place. These measures are not a penalty or sanction and do not indicate that we have concluded that the reported student has committed a breach of discipline.
It’s good practice to take time to reflect about the other person’s perception of your behaviour. Even if you feel that your behaviour was well-intentioned, your words or actions may have hurt or offended another person, and this may be thought of as an opportunity for learning, or perhaps for a change of approach.
- Listen carefully to the complaint and to the particular concerns expressed.
- Stop the behaviour that’s been complained about straight away; if you are deemed to have bullied or harassed somebody after their objection to your behaviour was made known to you, this will be seen as a more serious issue.
- You are likely to need advice and support to understand the complaint and what might happen. The College will provide guidance on what might happen if a disciplinary case is to be taken forward. You might find it helpful to discuss the matter with someone you trust. You can access support via Student Services (or Human Resources for members of staff).
What happens when something is reported?
The Academic Registrar (or the Head of Human Resources if the reporting person is a member of staff) will contact the reporting person and offer them the opportunity to discuss their report and their options. If the reporting person wishes to take the matter forward formally, the reported person will be contacted and offered the opportunity to meet with someone to discuss the process.
If the matter proceeds formally, the reported behaviour of a student will be investigated under the Student Disciplinary Procedure (or Staff Disciplinary Procedure in the case of staff).
Get Support
Students who are concerned about their behaviour can speak to:
- Student Services Manager – Nic Smith
Staff who are worried about their behaviour can speak to:
- CiC Confidential Care, the College's Employee Assistance Provider
- Head of Human Resources - Jennifer Allison
- Trade Unions