Disciplinary Guidelines

Disciplinary Guidelines for UDK Association

Approved at the association's meeting on October 10, 2022.

Disciplinary actions may be taken against a member if their behavior, either within or outside the association, harms the association's activities or seriously or repeatedly violates the association's accepted Guidelines for Safer Spaces. The decision-making authority regarding disciplinary actions rests with the association's board.

Reports of harassment intended to be brought to the board's attention should be made in writing. The board will address these reports without unnecessary delay, and they will be handled without the presence of individuals outside the board. In significant cases, harassment incidents may be addressed even if no written report has been submitted.

Disciplinary Actions

The board may impose the following disciplinary measures:

a) verbal warning;
b) written warning;
c) temporary suspension of membership services, for a maximum of one year at a time;
d) temporary ban from the association's events and/or facilities, for a maximum of one year at a time;
e) expulsion from the association.

Multiple disciplinary actions may be imposed simultaneously. Ban from events does not apply to association meetings.

Hearing the Involved Party

Before the board makes decisions regarding disciplinary actions, the person affected must be given an opportunity to be heard either orally or in writing. The board follows the following procedure for hearing the affected party.

1. Statements are requested from those parties from whom relevant information for resolving the issue can be obtained.
2. The party subject to the disciplinary procedure is given the opportunity to respond to the matter. The response can be requested either orally, in writing, or both.
3. An oral response session will be arranged where representatives of the association (for example, the chairperson, vice-chairperson, and/or equality officer) discuss the matter with the party subject to the disciplinary procedure. An oral hearing may be omitted if the subject refuses or is otherwise uncooperative.
4. A written response must be submitted within one week of the request. If the response is not submitted within the deadline without a valid reason, the matter may be resolved without it.
5. The statements provided along with the request for a response are intended solely for the knowledge of the parties involved in the disciplinary procedure.

Decision on disciplinary actions

The board makes a decision on disciplinary actions as follows:

1. The board discusses the matter in a meeting where only board members are present during the handling of the case.
2. In disciplinary actions, the process generally proceeds from the least serious to the most serious. Points c and d of the disciplinary actions should not be addressed directly without compelling reasons. Expulsion from the organization is a very serious consequence that should not be undertaken lightly. In such cases, it would be recommended for the board to first consult the Student Union of Tampere University and, if necessary, seek legal advice.
3. If disciplinary actions are determined, a reasoned written decision must be sent to the affected party within three (3) days of the decision being made. The decision can also be communicated verbally to the parties involved.
4. A separate confidential annex will be prepared regarding the decision, archived in such a way that only the board and, if necessary, the auditors have access to it. The annex will include the essential information the board had when making the decision, the board’s justification for its decision, and those matters necessary for implementing and monitoring the disciplinary actions (such as the name of the subject of the disciplinary procedure). The meeting minutes can record the matter as follows: “The board decided on disciplinary actions in accordance with confidential annex X,” where X is the annex number.
5. The subject of the disciplinary procedure may submit a written appeal to the board within two weeks of being informed of the decision. If the appeal is not submitted to the board within the deadline, the board's decision is final.
6. If the subject of the disciplinary procedure submits an appeal to the board, the board will address it without unnecessary delay. The appeal will be considered in a meeting without the presence of outside parties. A reasoned written decision must be sent to the subject within three (3) days of making the decision based on the appeal, and it may also be communicated verbally to the involved parties. The decision made based on the appeal is final and cannot be appealed further to the board.
7. The board may, for compelling reasons, revoke previously imposed disciplinary actions.

Addressing inappropriate behavior at events

The responsibility for addressing inappropriate behavior lies with the participants and organizers of the event. If inappropriate behavior persists despite warnings, the event organizer or a board member has the right to ask the disruptive individual to leave. If the person refuses to leave after multiple requests, the event organizer or board member may contact security personnel or the police.