Arrangements for the Admission of Applicants Under the Age of 18 Years
Introduction
1. Brunel University has a duty of care towards all its students and staff. In the case of students who are under the age of 18 years1, this duty is enhanced, as such students are considered to be children in terms of UK law. In order to ensure that its duty of care towards such students is properly fulfilled, the university recognises the importance of collecting and maintaining emergency contact information, and of obtaining authorisation to act in loco parentis in some limited circumstances for such students.1The University does not normally admit students under the age of 16 years.
2. The circumstances in which the University may need to act in loco parentis include, for instance, any dealings which a student may have with the police, or in the case of a medical emergency when the student might not be able to make a decision him/herself. The University would only take a decision on the student’s behalf in these circumstances if it were impossible or impractical to contact the student’s nominated emergency contact in the available time.
3. The persons who would normally act on the University’s behalf in such a matter are:-
- The Vice-Chancellor or his/her nominee
- The student’s Personal Tutor or Head of School
- The Head of Registry or his/her nominee
- The Chief Operating Officer or his/her nominee
- The Director of the University Health Service (for medical matters only)
5. Students under the age of eighteen still have the right under the Data Protection Act for information about them not to be disclosed without their consent to other persons, including their parents, without their specific written consent.
Procedures
6. Where an offer of admission to the university is to be made to any applicant who will be under the age of 18 years at the point of admission, the Admissions Office will send a letter to the student enclosing a form of consent for the signature of the parent or guardian of the applicant, together with a copy of this document. The letter containing the offer of admission will make it clear that any such offer is conditional upon the form of consent’s being signed and returned to the Admissions Office. The Admissions Office will monitor such forms and will only confirm the offer of admission once it has been signed and returned.7. On receipt of the completed form, the Admissions Office will lodge the original copy in the student’s file in Registry, and will send a copy to the School Manager of the School concerned.
Commentary
8. It is important that students under eighteen years of age, and their parents or guardians, understand that the University campus presents an ‘adult’ environment. Most students are eighteen, and are therefore legally entitled to purchase and to consume alcohol in the bars on the University’s premises, as well as in public houses in the locality. Furthermore they, as well as University staff, will treat students as adults, and may unwittingly assume that a student under eighteen years of age is entitled to use such facilities. In order to avoid any confusion in this respect, therefore, no student under the age of eighteen years may enter any bars on any University campus.11. Parents or guardians of students under the age of eighteen years are strongly advised to attend the University prior to the student’s initial registration with the University, in order to reassure themselves about the environment in which the student will be living and studying.
12. Students under the age of eighteen years are not legally entitled to hold office, and may not therefore stand for office in the Union of Brunel Students, or of any club or society thereof.
