## MPLS Division Guidance for Students on making a complaint and academic appeals

This document sets out what students should do if they want to raise a complaint or make an academic appeal, and who the best person to approach would be. The University’s academic appeals and complaints procedure is designed to ensure that complaints are properly investigated and are given careful and fair consideration. This document supplements the institutional policy by setting out the approach taken within MPLS for local resolution at departmental level.

## Definitions

- • A complaint can be made in relation to:
- o administrative and support services (including departmental facilities and central o administrative and support services (including departmental facilities and central facilities such as libraries, counselling, etc.)
- o academic services and support (departmental teaching, supervision etc.) o academic services and support (departmental teaching, supervision etc.)
- • An academic appeal is an appeal against the decision of an academic body in terms of whether the procedures were followed properly, errors were made, or the process was biased in some way.

For the remainder of this document, it is assumed that a complaint is being raised. The process for academic appeals is similar, although the timeframes are different. See University guidance on academic appeals for more information.

## Process:

When raising concerns to the University please ensure that you have read the complaints procedure carefully. The University aims to resolve straightforward complaints as quickly as possible using local resolution. The University Student Complaint procedure is divided into three parts: Stage 1 1 is a local resolution managed where the complaint has arisen Stage 2 2 is consideration by one of the University Proctors Stage 3 3 is a review of the Proctor’s decision by a Review panel member. Each stage must be completed before you can move on to the next stage. Both stage 2 and stage 3 are managed by the Proctors' Office.

## Stage 1: Local (Departmental) Resolution

- 1. Where appropriate, often the simplest way to achieve a satisfactory resolution is to have an informal discussion with the person immediately responsible for the issue that you wish to complain about. If you do not feel comfortable raising the matter with this person then you should speak or write to the relevant person below.
- Who to contact to raise a concern/complaint:

### If your concern or complaint relates to:

- a) teaching, supervision or other provision made by the department, then you should raise it with Director of Undergraduate Studies ([Insert name]) or with the Director of Graduate Studies ([Insert name]) as appropriate.
- b) departmental facilities it should be made to the Departmental administrator ([Insert name]).
- c) [For undergraduate joint courses (joint honours schools or courses taught across more than one department/faculty): If your concern relates to the course as a whole, rather than to teaching or other provision made by one of the faculties/departments, you should raise it with ([Insert appropriate contact name, e.g. Chair of the relevant Joint Standing Committee for the course])].
- d) general areas of concern about provision affecting students as a whole should be raised through Joint Consultative Committees or via student representation on the department’s committees.