The Procedure can be used to complain about any aspect of the academic or other services provided by the University and is open to all students enrolled in the University.  It does not however cover the following categories of complaint, for which separate procedures exist:

• grievances relating to personal harassment or discrimination on sexual, religious, racial or other grounds;
• requests for reviews of academic decisions;
• complaints relating to the Students' Union;
• appeals against decisions taken under disciplinary proceedings;
• complaints about businesses operating on University premises but not owned by the University.

The procedure is for the use of currently enrolled students only.

Please refer to the following tables if you are unsure of the appropriate way to pursue your complaint.

Table of categories of complaint covered by the Student Complaints Procedure

Table of categories of complaint dealt with through other procedures

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You may wish to seek help or advice from Officers of the Students' Union, or staff in the Campus Student Support Office or your Studies Adviser or Year Tutor, before making a complaint.

You have the right to be represented by or accompanied by a member of the University, for example, a student or member of staff, at any stage in the procedure.

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The procedure comprises three stages.  The first stage allows for informal resolution and only where this has proved unsuccessful can Stage 2, which is the first of the two formal stages, be invoked.

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A complaint may be made by an individual student or by a group of students.  Most can be resolved if properly addressed at local level. You are therefore encouraged to approach the relevant member of teaching or support staff in the first instance. For example, if your complaint relates to your programme of study, it may be appropriate to discuss it with your adviser of studies, with the lecturer concerned or with the course director.  In order that a complaint can be dealt with effectively and efficiently it must be drawn to the attention of the member of staff concerned as soon as possible, and normally not later than five working days after the failure in service or the incident giving rise to the complaint.  The complaint may be either oral or written and an appropriate response should be made to you, normally within 10 working days of receipt of the complaint.

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In the event that you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1 you may submit the complaint in writing to the relevant Dean of Faculty or Head of Department using form CS1. This form asks you to provide details of the complaint and of the attempts made to resolve it informally.

Form CS1 should be completed within ten working days of the unsatisfactory outcome of Stage 1 and normally not later than 25 working days after the incident giving rise to the complaint. 

You should receive a written response within 15 working days and this should indicate what action has been taken or is proposed to resolve your complaint or, if your complaint is not upheld, the reasons for that decision.

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If on receipt of the written response from the Dean/Head of Department concerned you still consider that the complaint has not been adequately addressed you can write to the Student Complaints Liaison Officer on form CS2. This form asks you to provide details of the complaint and of the informal and formal efforts made to resolve it. Where it is evident that the second stage has not been followed you will be advised that the relevant Dean/Head of Department must have the opportunity to consider and respond to the complaint before further action can be taken. Form CS2 must normally be completed within ten working days of receipt of the response from the Dean/Head of Department.

The Student Complaints Liaison Officer will arrange for a Complaints Review Panel to be established to consider and adjudicate on the complaint and this meeting should normally take place within 30 working days of receipt of form CS2.

The Complaints Review Panel will have available to it all previous correspondence relating to the complaint and any other relevant documentation.  The Panel will meet in private and may wish to ask you some questions in relation to your complaint.  The Panel may also question any members of staff involved and will seek to establish all relevant facts before reaching a decision. 

The conclusions of the Complaints Review Panel will be communicated to you within 10 working days.  The Complaints Review Panel will at the same time send a report summarising the complaint, the action taken to resolve it and their conclusions and recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor and to the relevant Dean or Head of Department.  If the complaint is upheld the Dean or Head of Department concerned will be asked to respond to the Vice-Chancellor and to the Chairperson of the Complaints Review Panel within 15 working days of receipt of the report stating what action has been taken or is proposed in the light of the Panel's recommendations.

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The Complaints Review panel will have the following members:

• Lay member of the University Council (Chairperson).
• A Dean/Associate Dean of a Faculty not implicated in the complaint.
• A Head of an Administrative Department not implicated in the complaint.
• The President of the Students' Union.

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As far as is practicable confidentiality shall be preserved in the investigation of a complaint. Such an approach is in the interests of both the student making the complaint and individual members of staff.

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A copy of form CS1 and a list of senior staff to whom formal complaints on form CS1 should be made is provided with this leaflet.  Further copies and copies of form CS2 are available from any of the University Libraries, Academic Registry, Student Support or Students' Union offices or from this webpage.

If you are unsure if your complaint falls within the scope of this procedure or if you require general advice on the most appropriate way to pursue your complaint, the Student Complaints Liaison Officer will be pleased to assist. You can contact the Student Complaints Liaison Officer by writing to:

The Student Complaints Liaison Officer
Room J503
University of Ulster
Cromore Road
Coleraine
BT52 1SA

or by e-mail at studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk

You should note that the Student Complaints Liaison Officer can act in an advisory capacity only and will not comment on the validity or likely outcome of your complaint.

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The University Visitor

When a student has exhausted all internal complaints or review procedures, he or she may appeal to the University Visitor. The role of the Visitor is to ensure that the Statutes, Ordinances and Regulations of the University have been properly observed and carried out and that natural justice is observed within the institution.  The Visitor is normally concerned with such matters as procedural propriety, fairness, prejudice and irregularity.  However, the Visitor's powers do not extend to matters relating to academic judgements.

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Formal complaints to Student Complaints Liaison Officer

Discuss with relevant member of staff or Head of Research Graduate School

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Library

Discuss with relevant member of staff

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Chief Finance and Information Officer

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Chief Finance and Information Officer

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Head of Career Development Centre

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Discuss with relevant member of staff

Formal complaints to Student Complaints Liaison Officer

Chief Finance and Information Officer

"

Discuss with relevant member of staff 

Head of Student Support

" 

Discuss with relevant member of staff

Head of Student Support

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Discuss with relevant member of staff 

Head of Student Support

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Head of Student Support

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Discuss with relevant member of staff 

Head of Student Support

Formal Complaints to Student Complaints Liaison Officer

Discuss with relevant member of staff

Head of International Office

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Riverside Theatre

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Discuss with relelvant member of staff

Head of Health and Safety Services/Director of Human Resources 

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Director of Physical Resources

Formal Complaints to Student Complaints Liaison Officer

Discuss with relevant member of staff or the Head of Estates

Director of Physical Resources

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Complaint about decisions relating to admissions or procedural aspects of the application and admissions process

The Admissions Complaints Procedure provides advice for applicants who feel that the decision relating to their application was unfair.  Details of this procedure are available from the Academic Registry Offices.

In certain circumstances you may request that the decision relating to academic progress taken by a Board of a Faculty or a Board of examiners be reviewed.

Full details of the review of decisions procedures are available in the Student Handbook and at the following web address: www.ulster.ac.uk/academicservices/student/examinations.html

If you consider that you have been subject to harassment on the grounds of religious beliefs, political opinion, gender, marital status, having or not having dependants, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnic origin or age you should consult the guidance on the University's Policy and Procedures on Bullying and Harassment.   This guidance summarises the University's policy in this area, lists people and organisations from whom you can seek advice and support and indicates how you can pursue any complaint of this nature.  Copies of the leaflet can be obtained from the Students' Union, Student Support or from Equality and Diversity Services. 

In the first instance you should attempt to resolve the complaint informally with the person concerned or with the site Vice-President of the Students' Union.  If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you should write to the President of the Students' Union/Sports Union giving full details of the complaint and of the attempts you made to resolve it informally. 

The procedures covering such appeals are set out in Student Discipline Ordinance XLIII.  A copy is available from Corporate Planning and Governance and copies are also available at http://plangov.ulster.ac.uk/governance/charter.html

All such complaints should be made directly to the manager of the business concerned, or to the relevant Head Office.  You may wish to send a copy of the complaint to the Provost of the campus on which the business operates, for information.