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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 them.

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, relating to your academic and student experience.

If your complaint is about your employer and your work experience this needs to be reported to your employer using their internal complaints and grievances system.

Who can complain

You must be a current student or recent graduate of the University (you can use the procedure for 6-months following graduation or exiting 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 6-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 aspect of the academic or other services provided by the University.

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
    • complaints about your employment or employer – as this is an Apprenticeship, not a academic work-placement, the University cannot action complaints against the company or organisation you are employed with.

Separate procedures exist to cover these categories of complaint- please look at the following information at the end of the page.

Advice and Representation

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 University’s internal complaints procedure (for example, a student or member of staff).

Please check your employers’ own complaints procedure for information on their advice and support options.

Complaints Procedure

The procedure comprises three stages. Should the University not be able to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you have the right to take the complaint to the Northern Ireland Public Sector Ombudsman (NIPSO), but for NIPSO to take a complaint you must have closed out all stages of the internal University complaints procedure.

Please note that SAAT is the University team that is responsible for co-ordinating and managing student complaints.

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 below to the forms GCF/CS-1 and CS-2 forms below to bring a complaint to Ulster University’s SAAT.

Associate Students

Associate students (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) will use their own institutions complaints procedure to complete Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the process, and then have the right to bring your complaint to Ulster University, through the SAAT, for a Stage 3 Complaints Panel, if your institution has not been able to satisfactorily resolve your complaint. For this process, please ask your college/provider for their own complaint procedure and forms, and should you wish to progress a complaint (once the college/providers own process has been closed out) please use the CS-2 form linked below.

Stage 1: allows for informal/early resolution.

Stage 2: enables a more in-depth investigation to take place, where either Stage 1 has been unsuccessful in satisfactorily resolving the complaint, or where the complaint is of a more serious or complex nature, which could not be resolved informally, the complaints procedure may start at the Stage 2 level.

Stage 3: involves the convening of an Ulster University Complaints Panel.

The Student Academic Affairs Team (SAAT) are the team responsible for managing all student complaints and can be contacted via studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk complaints or on saat@ulster.ac.uk if you have a general query.

  • Stage 1

    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 however you don’t feel able to approach a specific staff member or service directly, you can complete the general complaints form, or email studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk to request that SAAT progress your complaint.

    If SAAT manages your Stage 1 complaint, then we will give you our decision (findings and outcome/s) at Stage 1 in ten (10) working days, from when the complaint is actioned. If you are not satisfied with the response, we give at this stage you can take your complaint to Stage 2 of the complaints procedure.

    Alternatively, if your complaint is more complex and it is clear that it will not be possible to reach a conclusion within ten (10) working days you may take your complaint immediately to Stage 2 without using Stage 1.

    To make a Stage 1 complaint you can email studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk, or you can use this general complaints form (GCF).

  • Stage 2

    Stage 2 deals with two types of complaint

    1. those that have not been resolved at Stage 1 and
    2. those that are more complex and require more detailed investigation and consideration.

    We have a form – the CS-1 Form - which will help you to state your complaint clearly. If you complete this form and send it, it will automatically go to the Student Academic Affairs Team, who will initiate an investigation and liaise with the faculty/department to provide you with an answer to the issues that you raise.

    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.

    Staff members who have been asked to investigate a complaint under stage 1, and who feel that it requires more detailed investigation, may also refer the complaint to Stage 2 if they believe this is appropriate.

    At Stage 2 we will:

    • Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three (3) working days of receipt of the CS-1 form.
    • Discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied (if you completed Stage 1), or ask for clarification on what the issue/s are and what remedy or response you are looking for, and notify you when your complaint is being actioned

    and

    • Give you a full response to the complaint as soon as possible and not later than fifteen (15) working days from the date the complaint is actioned. If the investigation is likely to take longer than fifteen (15) working days we will tell you. We will agree revised time limits with you and keep you updated on progress.
  • Stage 3

    If you are still dissatisfied with outcome of the investigation you can ask to have your complaint heard by a student complaints panel. To request that your Stage 2 complaint progresses to Stage 3 you need to compete and submit the CS-2 Form. This form will be sent directly to SAAT once you press send.

    The panel will aim to meet within twenty (20) working days of receipt of the request for a panel hearing. 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 a nominated representative of the SU Executive Team.

    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. If you cannot attend the Stage 3 Complaints Panel meeting, you will be offered the opportunity to make a written submission for the panel, which must be submitted to SAAT at least three (3) working days in advance of the date of the panel meeting, so it can be uploaded to the Panel Papers folder.

    The conclusions of the panel will be communicated to you in writing, by SAAT, within ten (10) working days of its meeting.

What if I'm still dissatisfied?

The Public Services Ombudsman

If you have exhausted the internal complaints procedures, and have completed Stage Three 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.

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

saat@ulster.ac.uk

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.