Contacts and procedures

It may be that for some reason you do not want to contact the unit directly but you would still like to talk to someone at the university. In this case, you can contact a support person.

Just like the Together unit, the support person listens to you in an open and caring manner, without bias, and can advise you regarding university and non-university resources, your rights, and the possibilities of filing a report with the Together unit or lodging a formal complaint with the UCLouvain authorities.

All support persons:

• are bound by the strictest confidentiality;
• are duly informed and trained by UCLouvain;
• respect the ethical principles in the “Support Persons Charter”.

What support persons do not do

Support persons are not authorised to help you file a complaint with the UCLouvain authorities. They only go through the Together unit.

Support persons do not take any steps such as psychosocial intervention, unlike the Together unit. If necessary, and if you wish, they can refer you to professional persons or services who may be able to help you (police, UNIA, IEFH, among others).

► List of support persons

The Student Support Service can offer psychological support.

Many ressources also exist outside UCLouvain. Whatever your choice, UCLouvain respects it and supports you.

This consists of reporting to Together the acts of which you were a victim. To file a report, send an email to together@uclouvain.be.

The report allows UCLouvain to become aware of unacceptable situations and to put in place measures to prevent them from happening again. Your report can be sent anonymously. If you so wish, you may be granted a confidential individual interview as soon as possible. 

Please note that filing a report with UCLouvain does not constitute lodging a complaint with the UCLouvain authorities. The report can also be sent independently of a police complaint.

Lodging a complaint with the UCLouvain authorities is the most serious action you can take at the academic level.

You may then choose to lodge a complaint, but it is not mandatory. The complaint allows you to ask the vice-rector for student affairs to initiate a disciplinary procedure, in accordance with Annex 2, “Disciplinary regulations”, of the Academic Regulations and Procedures.

In concrete terms, you will have to reveal your identity and the identity of the accused, submit a description of the violent acts that you suffered, and detail when and where the acts took place. The document must be dated and signed.

The procedures vary depending on the status of the accused:

► If the accused is a UCLouvain student

fter having compiled a complaint file with Together’s help, the complainant submits it to the vice-rector for student affairs.

The vice-rector for student affairs can take two courses of action:

1. Activate urgent and provisional measures 

In an emergency, the vice-rector for student affairs may activate provisional measures to protect the victim and the university community. Upon a reasoned decision, the vice-rector for student affairs may provisionally suspend the student from:

• attending a learning or extracurricular activity;
• benefiting from a UCLouvain service;
• entering one or more specific UCLouvain areas.

This is a one-month suspension that may be extended after the vice-rector for student affairs reviews the case. 

2. And/or initiate a disciplinary procedure

What are the key steps in the disciplinary procedure?

• The accused student is informed of the disciplinary procedure.
• Depending on the sanction envisaged, the vice-rector for student affairs and/or Disciplinary Commission examines the accused student.
• The Disciplinary Commission drafts an opinion.
• The Disciplinary Commission’s opinion is sent to the vice-rector for student affairs and the accused student.
• The vice-rector for student affairs issues a reasoned decision on disciplinary action.
• The accused student is notified of the reasoned decision.

Disciplinary decisions involving the definitive exclusion of the right to use any UCLouvain services, as well as those involving the student’s temporary or definitive expulsion, may be appealed. This is handled by the Disciplinary Appeals Commission. At the end of the appeal procedure: 

• academic sanctions imposed in the first instance may be augmented or eliminated by the Disciplinary Appeals Commission;
• the Disciplinary Appeals Commission informs the accused student of its decision, which may only be appealed outside UCLouvain.

In order to investigate the case or give reasons for his or her decision, the vice-rector for student affairs may consult any person he or she deems useful and rely on the General Disciplinary Commission. The vice-rector for student affairs may also decide not to initiate a disciplinary procedure if he or she determines that the facts are clearly not established or do not warrant disciplinary sanction.

What are the sanctions against those found to be responsible?

The sanctions provided for are referred to in Article 6 of Annex 2 of the Academic Regulations and Procedures:

• a warning, the purpose of which is to draw the student’s attention to the difficulty encountered;
• temporary exclusion from one or more course units, or temporary or permanent exclusion from the right to use any of the university’s services, such as libraries, sports facilities or accommodation;
• temporary expulsion;
• permanent expulsion.

Temporary or permanent expulsion cannot be decided solely by the vice-rector for student affairs: he or she must seek the opinion of the Disciplinary Commission.

Limits of filing a report with Together or lodging a complaint with UCLouvain authorities

The Together unit cannot replace the police. Even if a complaint is lodged with UCLouvain authorities, it is not equivalent to a complaint with the police, who provide judicial follow-up of your complaint.
 

► If the accused is a UCLouvain staff member

The vice-rector for student affairs forwards the case to the vice-rector for personnel policy.

► If the accused is not a member of the UCLouvain community   

If the events occurred at an internship site [to be completed]........    In other cases, the university authorities have no means of taking action, but Together can advise and support you in the steps you wish to take.