Associate Students, having exhausted the complaints procedure in their own institution will have the final right of complaint to the University.
Scope of Procedure
The procedure can be used to complain about any aspect of academic or other services provided by the University.
It cannot be used in cases relating to personal harassment/discrimination, reviews of academic decision or appeals against decisions taken under disciplinary proceedings.
Associate students should note that the complaints procedure cannot be used to challenge the academic judgement of the examiners on your performance.
To avail of the procedure you must have exhausted the complaints system within your institution. A complaint can be made by an individual or a group of students.
Making a Complaint
The student must fill out form ASC1.
On this form you must outline the exact nature of your complaint, the steps that have been taken to resolve it, your reason for continued dissatisfaction and what form of resolution you would like to see.
You are also asked to enclose all documentation that you feel is relevant to your complaint with the form.
Complaints Panel
Your complaint should be sent to the Student Complaints Manager.
Upon receipt of this form the complaints officer, within 30 days will arrange for a meeting of the Complaints Review Panel.
The Panel will have the following members:
- Lay Member of the University Council who will act as Chair
- Dean/Associate Dean of a Faculty not involved in the complaint,
- A Head of an Administrative Department and;
- the President of Student's Union.
The panel will meet in private and will have available to it all the documentation relating to the complaint.
The panel will meet with the student to discuss the complaint and with any members of staff involved in the complaint.
The student has the right to accompanied by any member of the Partner Institution.
The decision of the panel will be based on the all evidence available to panel at that time.
The conclusions of the panel will be communicated to the student within 10 working days.
A report containing the conclusions and recommendations will also be sent to the Vice Chancellor of the University and the Head of the Partner Institution.
If the complaint is upheld the Head of the Institution must respond to the Vice-Chancellor and the Chair of the complaints panel outlining the actions that will be taken to resolve the complaint.
Get information regarding the student complaints process
For further information regarding the student complaints process you can contact the Student Complaints Manager at 028 7012 3213 or via studentcomplaints@ulster.ac.uk