University of Silesia in Katowice

Under the Act on the Law on Higher Education and Science, students and PhD students bear disciplinary responsibility for infringing rules and regulations in force at the University or actions violating a student’s/PhD student’s dignity. However, the law does not include any catalogue of violations subject to disciplinary penalties. It is assumed that these violations are actions that might be qualified as deliberate crimes (committed not only within the University’s area) as well as actions significantly beyond the accepted social norms. Students and PhD students shall be aware of the fact that they represent the University during their pastime and outside the campus.

Flagrant disciplinary violations include:

• physical assault;
• theft, fraud;
• forgery of, e.g. scholarship documents, medical certificates;
• plagiarism of, e.g. theses, credit papers, and any works not only connected to the educational process;
• vulgar and aggressive actions towards the members of the University’s community;
• stalking, including on the Internet;
• using the University’s computer network for illegal or immoral purposes;
• persistently disrupting the course of classes;
• manifestations of discrimination based on gender, nationality, religion, age, health condition, sexual orientation, etc.;/li>
• sexual harassment.

In the case a student or PhD student is suspected of committing a disciplinary violation, the Rector shall be immediately informed. The law does not stipulate how the information should reach the Rector; however, the desired solution providing a proper information exchange is to follow the chain of command, i.e. through a degree programme director or a dean). The information should be drawn up as a written form provided with the necessary documentation, witness statements, etc. Usually, it results in the Disciplinary Proceedings Representative taking actions that conclude in submitting a motion for punishment at the Disciplinary Committee.

Naturally, not every reprehensible act requires disciplinary proceedings to be started, e.g. sparse rudeness, failure to return a book to the library, or a loud party at a student residence hall. Frequently, a conversation with an academic, degree programme director, or dean and making a student/PhD student aware of the inappropriate character of certain behaviours is sufficient. In the case of a major nuisance at a student residence hall, the most severe penalty envisaged in the rules and regulations is to expel a student from housing with their prior hearing. In the documented cases of devastation, the most effective measure is a formal obligation of the perpetrator to cover the damage caused due to the devastation, or else the case will refer to the court. Before taking any measures, the case can be consulted with the Student Service Centre (dlastudenta@us.edu.pl).

It is worth knowing that:

• the Disciplinary Proceedings Representative, serving as a prosecutor, acts on the Rector’s command and, contrary to the prosecution or the Police, does not proceed with “the case” but with respect to specific and indicated students or PhD students. Therefore, serious law violations, in which it is not possible to indicate specific perpetrators, are directed to the law enforcement authorities by the University authorities,
• you should not address the reports on the offence committed by students or PhD students directly to the Disciplinary Committees, as they deal solely with the motions for punishment by the Disciplinary Proceedings Representative,
• the Disciplinary Committees (of the first instance and appeal) rule on the guilt and punishment toward the students/PhD students, the punishment of whom has been requested by the Disciplinary Proceedings Representative. The Act envisages penalties of: admonition, reprimand, reprimand with a warning, suspension in certain rights for the period of up to one year, or expulsion from the University,
• in the case of minor violations, for the Disciplinary Proceedings Representative's request, the penalty of admonition can be imposed by the Rector bypassing the Disciplinary Committee; each member of the University of Silesia is obliged to present oneself for the summoning by the Disciplinary Proceedings Representative or the Disciplinary Committee.