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The Student Complaints Procedure
- Who can Complain
- What can I make a Complaint about
- Advice and Support
- Complaints Procedure
- What if I am still dissatisfied
- Categories of Complaints dealt with under other procedures
- S1CF to trigger a Stage 1 Complaint
- S2CF to request a Stage 2 Complaints Panel be convened
We are committed to providing a high-quality student experience to all of our students from enrolment to graduation.
While we hope that you are satisfied with the experience that we offer we realise that sometimes there are things that fall short of what you expect, and we would welcome the opportunity to improve.
If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with what we are providing, please tell us – you should feel free to raise matters of concern without the risk of disadvantage.
The Student Academic Affairs Team (SAAT) is the team responsible for co-ordinating and managing student complaints in Ulster University.
Who can complain?
You must be a current student or recent graduate of the University (you can use the procedure for 2 months after your award has been conferred or 2 months after your exit from the University).
Third parties such as parents, friends, spouses, sponsors or employers may not normally raise a concern/complaint on behalf of a student. If there is a reason (such as disability or mental health) where a family member or friend needs to progress a complaint on behalf of a current student (or within 2 months of that student leaving the University) a third-party consent form must be completed and submitted by the student who is making the complaint, to verify permission is granted, specifying who is able to act on their behalf. To obtain a third-party consent form, please email studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk.
You can complain as an individual student, or we will also accept complaints from groups of students.
What can I complain about
The Procedure can be used to complain about:
- Any service or facility provided by the University. This includes academic services such as teaching facilities or resources. Other examples may include IT support or building maintenance.
- Action or inaction taken by the University. This includes administrative decisions.
It does not however cover the following categories of complaint: -
- 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.
Separate procedures exist to cover these categories of complaint- please look at the Complaint Procedure to help with these issues.
Advice and Support
You may wish to seek help or advice from Officers of the Students' Union, or staff in Student Wellbeing, the Campus Student Support Office or your Studies Advice or Year Tutor, before making a complaint.
To discuss whether the Complaints Procedure is the most appropriate pathway to use, please contact studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk, and a member of the Student Academic Affairs Team (SAAT) will arrange to meet and discuss this with you.
You have the right to be accompanied by a member of the University for support at any stage in the procedure (for example, a student or member of staff).
Complaints Procedure
Please note that SAAT is the University team that is responsible for co-ordinating and managing student complaint.
Affiliate Students
However, if you are a student studying with one of Ulster University’s Partners (QAHE, COMD, UCQ etc.), as an affiliate student, then SAAT will work with the relevant Partnership Managers, Quality Managers and the Associate Dean (AQSE) for Partnerships, to investigate and resolve complaints at a local level for students studying with Ulster partners. As an affiliate student please use the links to the complaints forms above to bring a complaint to Ulster University’s SAAT.
Associate Students
If you are an Associate student (those who are registered with a different education provider, but who are studying on an Ulster University accredited HE qualification – e.g., through the Northern Ireland Regional Colleges) and wish to make a complaint, please read our Associate Student complaints information.
Early Resolution
We aim to resolve complaints quickly, and appropriately, as early in the process as possible. This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong and immediate action to resolve the problem. Where possible you should raise your concerns with the relevant staff member/University Team of Service Provider. This can be done face-to-face, by phone, in writing or by email.
If it becomes clear that early resolution isn't appropriate (for example, due to complexity) SAAT or the member of staff assigned to review your complaint may direct the complaint to Stage 1.
Stage 1: Investigation
Stage 1 deals with two types of complaint
- those that have not been resolved at early resolution and
- those that are more complex and require more detailed investigation and consideration.
If you wish to make a Stage 1 complaint please complete the S1CF Complaint Form, which will help you to state your complaint clearly. This will automatically go to the Student Academic Affairs Team, who will initiate an investigation and liaise with the faculty/department to investigate your complaint.
Please be aware that the complaint form and any supporting documents that you may want to provide will be seen by the person investigating your complaint, and potentially by anyone named in the complaint/relevant staff in the department (s) being complained about.
At Stage 1 we will:
- Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three (3) working days of receipt of the S1CF form.
- Engage with you, where appropriate, to clarify your complaint; understand why you remain dissatisfied following early resolution and confirm the outcome you are seeking.
and
- Provide a full written response to your complaint, normally within 15 working days. The timeframe for investigation will begin once the issues of complaint have been established and the scope of the complaint has been determined. If the investigation requires more time, we will inform you of the reasons for the delay, agree a revised timeframe, and keep you updated on progress.
Stage 2: Student Complaints Panel
If you are still dissatisfied with outcome of the investigation you can ask to have your complaint heard by a student complaints panel. To escalate your complaint to Stage 2, you must complete and submit the S2CF form within 10 working days of receiving the outcome of your Stage 1 complaint.
The panel will normally meet within twenty (20) working days of receipt of your complaint form. If it is likely to take longer than 20 working days we will tell you and agree a revised timeframe with you.
The panel will consist of:
- a lay member of the University Council (who will normally Chair the panel)
- a Dean (Executive or Associate) of a Faculty not involved in the complaint,
- a Head of an Administrative/Non-Academic Department (Professional Services) not involved in the complaint and
- the President of the Students Union or their nominee.
The panel will want to meet with you and the other parties involved in complaint separately. You will have the right to be accompanied to this meeting by a member of the University (a fellow student, staff member, Student Wellbeing or Students Union Advice Team member). The panel will have available to it all documentation relating to the complaint.
The conclusions of the panel will be communicated to you in writing, by SAAT, normally within ten (10) working days of its meeting.
What is I’m still dissatisfied?
The NI Public Services Ombudsman
If you have exhausted the internal complaints procedures, and have completed Stage 2 and remain dissatisfied, you can complain to the Northern Ireland Public Sector Ombudsman (NIPSO).
You must make your complaint to NIPSO within 6-months of the final decision from the University.
For further information on the procedure.
Further Information
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 Academic Affairs Team (SAAT) will be pleased to assist. You can contact them on
studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk
or
or
+44 (0) 28 7012 3838 (SAAT)
You should note that SAAT can act in an advisory capacity only and will not comment on the validity or likely outcome of your complaint.
Categories of complaint details with through other procedures
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.
Complaint about an academic decision (taught courses)
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.
Complaint about an academic decision (research students)
- A student whose studies during his or her period of research have been discontinued by the Research Degrees Committee on the recommendation of the Board of the Faculty in which he or she was registered may ask for their case to be reviewed.
- A candidate for a research degree deemed not to be eligible for the award of the degree for which he or she has been examined (and not permitted to re-submit their thesis for that award) may ask for their case to be reviewed.
Full details of the Procedures for the Review of Decisions are contained in the Research Studies Handbook, available from the Research Office.
The Regulations for the degrees of MPhil and PhD require that candidates asking for their case to be reviewed following examination should lodge a request in writing to the Research Office within one month of the approval of the recommendation of the Board of Examiners.
Complaints relating to sexual, racial or religious harassment or discrimination
Consult the University's Policy and Procedures on Bullying and Harassment (Dignity at Work), if you consider that you have been subject to harassment from another person on the grounds of:
- religious beliefs
- political opinion
- gender
- marital status
- having or not having dependants
- sexual orientation
- disability
- race
- ethnic origin
- age
