Information for applicants
Students are required to disclose any relevant, unspent, criminal convictions (as defined in the University’s Admissions Policy and Admissions Code of Practice for Applicants declaring a criminal conviction), when requested to do so by the University. Disclosure will be required from you when you accept your offer of a place on a course and must be completed before enrolment. It should be noted that criminal convictions may not necessarily be a bar to study, but must nevertheless be notified to the University If you disclose a relevant, unspent, criminal conviction to the University, you are required to provide the University with additional information, as reasonably requested, in order for the University to carry out a suitable assessment of risk. Upon receiving a relevant criminal convictions disclosure, the University reserves the right to (a) cancel / withdraw the offer, (b) impose conditions or restrictions on you whilst you are at University to the extent that the University considers necessary to manage any risks, or (c) to terminate any contract with you where you have already enrolled on a course, where the risks cannot be appropriately managed. Students are required to notify the University if they are charged or found guilty of any relevant, unspent, criminal offence after their initial declaration.
Where appropriate, registration on a course may be conditional upon compliance with any requirements arising from legislation or regulations made from time to time in relation to the protection of children and vulnerable adults. For these course, you will be required to disclose information about your criminal convictions and to complete a disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring Service which may include the disclosure of spent convictions. You may also be required to submit a Medical Clearance form.
More information can be found in the Admissions Policy: Appendix E – Admissions Code of Practice for Applicants declaring a criminal conviction https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/images/external-websites/www/help-and-advice/applying/related-downloads/Admissions-Policy-and-Procedure-2019-0.pdf
Information for current students
Students are required to notify the University if they are charged or found guilty of any relevant, unspent, criminal offence after their initial declaration during their time studying at University. Failure to disclose a relevant, unspent, criminal conviction may result in disciplinary action by the University and the University reserves the right to terminate the contract.
Students should be aware that a criminal conviction may not necessarily be a bar to studying at the University, however the University cannot guarantee that a criminal conviction would not be a barrier to entry in your chosen career or profession. It is the students’ responsibility to familiarise themselves with and to ensure compliance with the requirements of any professional body which they wish to join either before or after graduation. Students should also be aware that a change in their circumstances whilst studying (e.g. acquiring criminal convictions or certain physical or mental ailments or illnesses) may affect their continued compliance and in such cases should be notified both to the relevant professional body and to the University for clarification.
Students should report convictions to the Student Casework Manager, in Academic Registry, by emailing studentcasework@sunderland.ac.uk