Making a complaint

You can complain about any aspect of University life; teaching or supervision, a service provided by the University or behaviour of staff or other students. You will need to be specific and provide evidence of the issues you have faced.

The University states that nobody should be disadvantaged as a result of making a complaint.

Contact us if you would like support with drafting your complaint. We are an independent organisation from the University, and therefore able to support and represent you with matters such as complaints.

If your complaint is about the behaviour of a student (if you are alleging a possible breach of the student code of conduct by another student), this should be raised by following the guidance in Section 2 of the University's Disciplinary Regulations.

The Student Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure may also be of help depending on the nature of your complaint.

There is a separate process for submitting an appeal or complaint in relation to Admissions.

Three Stages

1. Triage - A preliminary assessment of the concern form to decide on the most appropriate way of responding
2. Investigation (Complaint Stage 1) - Complaints will be referred to this stage when concerns cannot be quickly resolved during the triage process.
3. Review (Complaint Stage 2) - Students may escalate their concerns to this stage on certain grounds if they remain dissatisfied with the response at Stage 1

How to submit a complaint?

You should read the University’s Complaints Procedure

You will need to use the Student Concerns Form and also submit any supporting evidence you have.

Tips on what to write

• You need to be as clear as possible, as the person who reads your complaint may know nothing about your circumstances. Once you have written your statement you need to read it back and consider whether someone with no prior knowledge of your complaint would understand what you have written.
• If you are complaining about a specific person, you must include their name otherwise your complaint cannot be followed up. If you know what their job title is, or which course they are studying, you should include this as well.
• Writing a chronology of events may be helpful. Be as specific as you can with the dates that the events occurred.
• Give examples to support the points you raise and include evidence where possible.
• Only mention witnesses and people who support your complaint by name if they have given you permission to do so.
• You do not need to write your statement like an essay. It is fine to write it as a list of bullet points.

Can I get feedback?

We can provide feedback on your complaint statement before you submit your concerns form. If you require feedback, you could send us your complaint statement in a word document or we can send you a hard copy of the concern form for you to complete which will then, once you have received feedback, need to be transferred to the online form. Get in touch if you have a draft which you’d like us to look at.

Deadlines

The University expect complaints to be raised within the academic year in which the concerns occurred. Complaints raised outside the academic year in which they occurred will not be considered unless you can demonstrate there are valid reasons why you could not have raised them sooner.

Can someone else submit a complaint on my behalf?

The University expect students to submit complaints themselves. Only in exceptional circumstances can a third party submit a complaint form on your behalf. You must request permission in writing via appealsandcomplaints@shu.ac.uk with evidence stating reasons why you are unable to raise issues yourself.

Stage 1 Investigation Meeting

If your complaint concern is not resolved at the triage stage, your complaint will then be passed to the investigations stage. A complaint investigator will be appointed who will then keep you informed about the progress of their investigation. You may be called to a meeting with them. Contact the Advice Service if you would like someone to help you to get ready for the meeting.

Stage 2 Review

The findings of the Stage 1 Investigation will be reported to you. If you are not happy with the outcome, you may request a review of the Stage 1 decision in one or more of the following situations:

• Where you have evidence that the procedures were not properly followed during Stage 1, and that this impacted the decision on your appeal.
• Where you have new, relevant evidence that you can demonstrate you were unable to provide earlier for reasons beyond your control.
• You believe the outcome at Stage 1 was clearly unfair or manifestly unreasonable.

You can request a review of the Stage 1 decision by completing the Complaint Review Form. You should do this within 10 working days of us sending you the Stage 1 outcome. Forms received beyond the 10-working day period will only be considered in exceptional circumstances where you have provided a valid reason, with evidence, for the delay.

Contact us if you require advice at this stage.

Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)

Once all University processes are completed (and you receive a 'Completion of Procedures' letter) and you are unsatisfied with the outcome, you can contact the OIA - an independent body that oversees universities. The OIA looks at the handling of the complaint process rather than at the substance of the complaint itself (i.e. it does not look at the issue you actually complained about) and is interested in whether the University has acted fairly, reasonably and within its own procedures. The OIA provides helpful guidance, which you are advised to look at before you submit a complaint to them. We can also advise you on this stage of the complaints process.

We can discuss your concerns with you, help you clarify your issues and pull together your complaint. We can guide you through the process, check your statements and attend meetings with you (subject to availability).

You can contact the Advice Service if you require additional advice or guidance – Get Advice