In which I am contacted by the Registrar

I was now sitting at home while all my fellow students were out in their schools happily teaching their practicum blocks. I had been barred from my practicum with no prior notice and with no written reasons provided, and at the same time the University had charged me with non-academic misconduct, also with no written reasons. Furthermore, my department was now refusing to respond to my requests for any information as to my status, saying only that my file had been transferred to the Registrar and I would be contacted in due course. There was nothing to do but sit and wait.

On the sixth of December, fifteen days after I had been thrown out of my practicum, I received the following email from the Registrar:

From: Colin Russell

Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 6:26 AM

To: btestware@shaw.ca

Subject: non-academic misconduct investigation

Dear Mr. Green,

I am responsible for the administration of the Student Non-Academic Conduct and Discipline policy, which is available on the University of Winnipeg website at http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/cms-filesystem-action/pdfs/admin/policies/student-non-academic-conduct-and-discipline.pdf . Please note that due to administrative changes, the position of "Associate Vice-President (Student Services)" no longer exists, so references to that position in the policy should be read as "Registrar."

I am in receipt of several complaints about your conduct in the classroom, both at the University and on your practicum experience. I have had a third party conduct an investigation of these written complaints as required in Section IV.1.f of the policy, and that person has submitted a report. It is my view based on that report that the charges appear to be substantive enough to proceed with adjudication of the complaint.

Therefore, as required in Section IV.1.h, I request a meeting with you to review the complaints. I am available Wednesday, December 7 at 2:00, or Thursday, December 8 between 10:00 and noon. Please let me know if one of those times would work for you, or, if not, what your schedule would accommodate within the next few days and I will try to arrange a mutually convenient time.

My office is in 1B14, which is at the far south end of the first floor of Ashdown Hall, past the Student Services offices of Admissions, Records, Disability Resource Centre, etc.

Regards,

Colin Russell
University Registrar, Student Services
Instructor, Department of English
The University of Winnipeg

I was being ordered to report to another meeting, and you know how I feel about meetings. I know people will say I was being difficult, but that is really quite unfair. An accused person has certain rights, and one of the most basic is to be informed of the precise charges against him. In the circumstances, where I had not only been accused but actually punished already, there was only one possible response to this demand, and so I replied the following day:

Dear Mr. Russell:

I will require written disclosure of all allegations against me. Once I have had a chance to review this information, I will contact you to arrange a meeting.

Marty