Disciplinary figures released to the Otago Daily Times showed 11 students were referred to vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne - who deals with the most serious disciplinary cases -- in the year up until April 30 compared with eight for the whole of last year and five in 2010.
Of those referred to Prof Hayne this year, five had been barred from the university for a semester for serious misconduct. All five had been involved in lighting fires.
Prof Hayne said it was too early in the year to comment on the increase in the number of students with which she was dealing.
"We are talking about [a small number of] additional students from a total number of 20,000. Any first-year statistics student will tell you that [level of increase] doesn't mean anything.
"Because I am new at the job I don't know whether [cases of serious misconduct] are concentrated at the beginning of the year or scattered throughout the year," she said.
However, she did say the university wanted to send a "clear message" that students who participated in behaviour which threatened other students - including fires, assault and "throwing things at people" - were not welcome at the university.
The disciplinary figures also showed 205 students had this year been seen by the proctor for misconduct. Sixteen of the more serious cases had been referred to the provost, compared with 14 for the whole of last year.
Most cases seen by the proctor - about 169 - were as a result of behaviour during Orientation Week.
Both the proctor and the provost are able to fine students who breach the university's rules.
This comes as the university introduces measures to reduce excessive alcohol consumption by students, including setting up an "alcohol implementation group" chaired by the head of the university's preventive and social medicine department, Prof Jennie Connor. The group had its first meeting about two weeks ago.
Prof Hayne, who is part of the group, said it aimed to implement measures to reduce the damage caused by alcohol among university students.
"The university can no longer sit by and let someone else solve our problems for us," she said.
Prof Hayne was also now personally seeing every student who came to the attention of Campus Watch for "dangerous drinking".
So far this year she had seen about 24 students who had been in situations ranging from passing out in unfamiliar places to being hit by cars because they were so intoxicated.
Prof Hayne said the changes were not about improving the university's reputation but about caring for its students.
"We have an immense responsibility to the 20,000 students who chose to study here, so we are going to do whatever we possibly can to make this environment fun and safe."
