Student Complaints

You can contact the Students' Union Advice Service before making a complaint, while your complaint is being considered, or after you receive an outcome.

The Advice Service can help you:

• Understand the complaints procedure and decide what to do next
• Identify the correct stage for your complaint
• Identify and organise relevant evidence
• Review a draft complaint or review request
• Prepare for meetings connected to your complaint
• Understand an outcome and your options for taking the matter further

You can contact us through the enquiry form here.

Most complaints should be raised informally first.

You should contact the person, team, service, or department linked to your complaint. For example, this might be your module tutor, course leader, or the manager of a University service.

If your complaint is about an academic member of staff, you should normally raise it with their line manager, who will usually be the course leader.

At this stage, you should explain:

• What has happened
• Why you are unhappy
• What you would like to happen next

Many complaints can be resolved through an explanation, apology, clarification, or by taking action to address the issue. You should normally receive a written outcome within 10 working days. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may be able to move to Stage 2.

If your concern cannot be resolved informally, or it would be inappropriate for it to be dealt with at Stage 1, you can submit a formal complaint to the Student Casework Team.

You should normally do this within 15 working days of the Stage 1 response.

Your complaint should include:

• Details of your complaint
• What steps you have already taken to resolve the issue
• Why you remain dissatisfied
• What outcome you are seeking
• Any evidence that supports your complaint

• Evidence could include emails, letters, screenshots, course documents, meeting notes, or witness statements.

An Investigating Officer will be appointed to review your complaint. They may speak to you and other people involved, review relevant evidence, and consider whether your complaint should be upheld. You will receive a written outcome explaining the decision and any actions the University intends to take.

If you are not happy with the Stage 2 outcome, you may be able to ask for a Stage 3 review. You should normally submit this within 15 working days of the Stage 2 response. A review is not a chance to submit a new complaint. It considers whether there is a reason for the University to look again at the Stage 2 decision.

You must show one or more of the following:

• New evidence has become available that could not reasonably have been provided earlier
• There was a procedural error or unfairness that affected the outcome
• The outcome was unreasonable based on the evidence available

A Complaint Review Panel will consider your request and decide whether the original decision should stand or whether further action is required. You should normally receive the Stage 3 outcome within 5 working days of the panel meeting.

• Once the University's complaints process is complete, you should receive a Completion of Procedures letter.
• If you are still unhappy with the final outcome, you may be able to ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, known as the OIA, to review your complaint.
• You must normally submit your complaint to the OIA within 12 months of the date on your Completion of Procedures letter.
• If you are a degree apprentice, you may also be able to raise your complaint with the Education and Skills Funding Agency after the University process has finished.