Guidance for Staff Dealing with Complaints
At the outset, colleagues are urged to familiarise themselves with the Student Complaints Procedure, which sets out the steps which should be taken by staff dealing with student complaints and the deadlines they should strive to meet. Knowledge of other procedures for resolving disputes (e.g. examination appeals or student progress, student conduct, fitness to practise, PhD disputes) will also be useful, and some of the principles identified below may be applied in those cases.
This Guidance should be read in conjunction with the Student Complaints Procedure. Where there is any doubt, the Student Complaints Procedure will take precedence over this Guidance.
There are three stages to the University student complaints procedure:
| Stage 1: | Student seeking a resolution at local level |
| Stage 2: | Student submits a formal complaint to the Head of Academic Affairs |
| Stage 3: | Student has the right of appeal against a Stage 2 outcome, on specific grounds, to the Director of Academic and Student Affairs |
The various stages of the process are explained: