Student Complaints QAHE

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.

• Stage 1

  A complaint may be made by an individual student, or group of students.

  For Ulster Students studying with QAHE, the first stage of the complaints procedure is to review the complaint at a local level, and work towards early resolution, wherever possible.

  To start the complaints process please email studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk

  Please register your complaint as soon as possible after the incident has occurred, and we would ask that this happens, normally within 5-working days of the incident occurring, to allow for timely follow up by our complaints investigators.

  The Ulster University Student Academic Team (SAAT) will forward your complaint to the most appropriate QAHE Partnership Manager, and they will co-ordinate the initial investigation, and provide a written (email) response to you, directly, normally within 10-working days of being allocated the case.

• Stage 2

  If, after completing Stage One of the Complaints Process, you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage One, you can submit a CS-1 form (link to CS-1 form at top of web page), to ask for a further investigation of your complaint.

  The CS-1 Form should be submitted to studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk normally within 10-working days of receiving the outcome letter from Stage One.

  The Student Academic Affairs Team will then assign a Partnership Manager to look into your complaint and conduct an in-depth investigation. They will need to meet with you (on Teams or in person, depending on where you are based), and speak with other relevant people/teams, to gather evidence. They will then complete a Stage Two report. This report will provide the evidence-based findings, outcomes and recommendation of the investigations officer, and will be provided to the SAA Team. The SAA Team will then communicate the outcomes of the investigation to you, via email, normally within 15-working days of the complaint (Stage Two) being acknowledged, in a Stage Two letter.

  If the complaint is upheld, this letter will indicate what action has been, or is being/will be, taken by Ulster University, in relation to your complaint, or what is being proposed to resolve your complaint.

  If the complaint is not upheld, this letter will specify why not, and the reasons for that decision.

• Stage 3

  If, after you receive your Stage Two letter, you still not content with the University’s response, you can request for a Student Complaints Panel to be convened.

  To request a Stage Three Complaints Panel, please complete the CS-2 Form (link to CS-2 form at top of webpage), and email it to studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk.

  Once the Student Academic Affairs Team receive your CS-2 Stage Three Panel request, they will confirm this with you, and will start the process to convene this panel, made up of senior Ulster University managers, and two external people, to ensure impartiality, and a fair and equitable review of the complaint, and Ulster University’s process to attempt to resolve the complaint.

  This panel will be made up of Ulster University Staff: -

  • The Chair of the University Council (lay person) or their nominated representative
  • An Associate Dean from a Faculty not related to the complaint
  • A Senior Manager from a Professional Services Team – at Head of Department/Centre level or above
  • The Student Union President (an external person, not employed by the University) – or their nominated representative

  The Stage Three Panel is likely to held over Teams, or another online conferencing platform, for students not based in Northern Ireland.

  The Panel will be convened, as far as possible, to suit you, as complainant, within the normal times of a working day (9am – 5pm).

  SAAT will aim to have the panel convened within 30-working days of the receipt of the CS-2 Form, however, please note the caveats applying to timeframes around academic leave periods, given the requirements of the Panel membership (see Timelines, below).

  The Panel will have access to all relevant complaint documentation, including the initial complaint, and CS-1 and CS-2 forms, plus correspondence, investigations reports from Stage One and Stage Two, and any other evidence.

  The Panel will ask to meet with you (as Complainant) privately, as part of the meeting, plus they may ask to meet with Partnership Managers/investigators, as part of the Panel meeting. You can of course have a support person attend with you – a colleague or other student, staff member, student wellbeing officer or student union advice officer. They are there to provide emotional support, and can help clarify points if you require this, however they are not part of the official Panel discussion.

  The Panel will specifically want to hear from you in relation to

  1. The main focus of your complaint – this is not a meeting to review all the elements of the complaint, that will be covered by the Panel outside of this meeting as part of their preparation and discussion
  2. The impact the incident/s within your complaint have had on you – your studies and your student experience
  3. Your desired outcomes. This is critical to the successful resolution of a complaint, as the University can be asked by the Panel to look at systems and practices, such as updating policies, or making the regulations clearer etc., however the Panel can only make suggestions to the University on action that should be taken to address your specific complaint if they know what it is that you want the University to change/action. So, please make sure before attending a Stage Three Panel that you have considered the actions you want the University to take, to address and remedy your complaint.

  The conclusions of the Stage Three Panel will be shared with you, in writing (email) within 10-working days of the Panel meeting.

  The Complaints Review Panel will at the same time send a report to SAAT summarising the complaint, the action taken to resolve it and their conclusions and recommendations, and SAAT will share this with the Vice-Chancellor and to the relevant Dean, and Associate Dean (ASQE) of the relevant Faculty, or with the Head of Directorate and Department where the complaint relates to Professional Services Teams.

  If the complaint is upheld the relevant Dean concerned will be asked to respond to the Vice-Chancellor and to the Chairperson of the Complaints Review Panel, and SAAT, 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.

• Timeframes

  Please be aware, as the University is an academic business, with academic staff contracts in place over the annual academic holiday periods, so during holiday periods the stated timelines stated may not be achievable.

  Over the summer leave period there may be a delay in convening a Stage Three Ulster Staff Panel due to required academic staff being unavailable due to contractual holiday periods. In this case the lead SAAT Officer will ensure you are kept updated as to the progress of the case, and where possible agree alternative timeframes with you.