COMPLAINTS All Students have the right to complain. If you are unhappy with a decision or something on your course, don’t suffer in silence.
Complaints generally fall into two categories ACADEMIC COMPLAINTS
• Lack of project supervision • Problems with lecturers • Lectures being cancelled, etc
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SERVICES & FACILITIES
Residential Accommodation Catering The Library Computing Student advice and support services, etc...
Complaints do not always have to have a negative impact, they can be a way of improving things for the future.
How do I make a complaint? Step 1- The first port of call should be to try and resolve the complaint informally. In most cases 99% of complaints can be resolved without actually making a formal complaint. This means that you need to go and calmly talk to the people involved. For an academic complaint these people could be: • Your personal tutor • Your course leader • Your head of department For a complaint about services or facilities these people could be: • The Librarian, if you have an issue with the library • Your Halls manager, if your complaint concerns your accommodation, and so on If you have spoken to the person concerned and you cannot settle the issue informally, then you have the right to formally complain.
Step 2- A formal complaint should be in writing. It must meet the criteria laid down within the formal university guide. Please ask the Students’ Union centre for a copy of this guide, if you do not already have one. Your complaint should contain the following:
• Headed- “Formal Statement of Complaint” • It should state what the problem is and who the problem is with. • You must give a full account from start to finish within a statement. This should include, what steps you have already taken to try and resolve the problem and what you would like to be done. • The reason why the outcome of the informal complaint was not satisfactory. Your statement must be signed, dated and your name printed. 1/3
The university guide contains a form at the back. This form is for guidance as to the headings you should use within your statement, to ensure that you have met all the criteria. Please see below for the appropriate statement headings: • Student Registration Number • Family Name • Forename • Course/Study Route and year/level • Address • Email address • Telephone Number • Unit affected • Type of complaint • Statement- including grounds for complaint and previous attempts to resolve. • Evidence of your complaint • Your preferred outcome • Your signature • Date You have 20 working days from when the complained matter occurred to submit your form and there is also the opportunity to provide evidence to back up your complaint. Completed complaints forms need to be submitted to the Students complaints department at the below address, care of Samantha Hill:
FAO: Samantha Hill University of Portsmouth, Academic Registry University House, Winston Churchill Avenue Portsmouth, PO1 2UP
What happens next? You will receive written confirmation from the Students complaints officer to say whether they have received your complain and whether it has been found to be a valid complaint or not.
If your complaint is valid Your complaint will be forwarded to the relevant Head of Department/ service to be investigated. The complaints officer will inform you who this person is. It should take no more than 20 working days to investigate your complaint. If the investigation is to take longer, you will be informed. The conclusion of the investigation will be conveyed to you in writing. You will have 5 working days to confirm whether you are happy with the outcome and conclusions.
If your complaint is not validIf your complaint is not valid, the students complaints officer will return your form with advice, 2/3 if appropriate on how to pursue the matter further.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your formal complaint? You can request a review of the response to your complain or the way it was handled. You should write a statement including why you are not happy with the outcome and why you feel a review of your complaint is appropriate. Your should address your request for a review to: Sally Hartley, University Secretary, University House, Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth, PO1 2UP Please be aware of the following: • You only have 14 days from receipt of the complaint findings to take the above action. • The University secretary will decide whether to look at the complaint again • If a review of the complaint is justified, a panel of uninvolved members will report to the University Complaints Review Panel within 20 working days. • You will be told in writing what action, if any will be taken to settle your complaint.
What to do If you are still not happy after sending your complaint to the University SecretaryIf believe that your complaint has still not been resolved after the University Secretary’s Review, you can apply to the Office of the Independant Adjudicator (OIA) for an independant review. The OIA handles individual complaints against higher education institutions. However, this only applies if all of the above procedures have been exhausted. If you wish to place a complaint with the OIA, please come to the Students’ Union in the Student Resource Centre in Gun House. We can provide you with a leaflet on making such complaints.
Withdrawing a complaintIf at any time you choose not to go ahead with your complaint, you must write to the University Complaints officer, or to the Head of whom your complaint was referred, stating that you wish to withdraw your complaint. They will then confirm to you in writing that your complaint has been withdrawn. ONLY WITHDRAW YOUR COMPLAINT IF YOU ARE SURE YOU WISH TO END THE MATTER, AS ONCE IT HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE SAME COMPLAINT WILL BE DEALT WITH AT A LATER DATE. If a malicious complaint is made, you are likely to be dealt with under the student disciplinary procedures.
Need Advice? Come and speak to the Academic Caseworker, Fern Lewis at the Students Union. Currently located at Gun House, in the Students Resource Centre.“Drop in surgery” every Thursday 1-5pm. Or email Sharon.Hill@upsu.net for an appointment.
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