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2013-14 Student Complaints FAQ
Q. A student comes to me with a complaint. How do I deal with it?
A. Establish if it is a complaint or a problem/issue.
Definition a complaint is:
“An expression of dissatisfaction by one or more individuals about the
standard of service, action or lack of action by or on behalf of the
University.”
These are not complaints:
 a routine, first-time request for a service. E.g. a report that a piece of equipment is
not working or that a building repair is required. Within administrative systems it is
also normal that when users have problems using those systems, requests for help
are not necessarily complaints. E.g. a student seeing incorrect information on
MyCampus will ask for the information to be corrected, but that will not normally be
a complaint. However, certain errors may be so significant that as soon as they are
raised they should be treated as a complaint (e.g. a sum far higher than the correct
amount having been deducted from a student bank account).
 a request for information or an explanation of policy or practice.
 a response to an invitation to provide feedback through a formal mechanism such as
a questionnaire (e.g. annual monitoring, or a formal consultation) or committee
membership (e.g. Staff-Student Liaison Committee, or student representation on a
School Learning & Teaching Committee). The exception would be where such
feedback indicates a serious issue that needs further investigation and a response to
the individual who provided the feedback.
 an issue which is being, or has been, considered by a court or tribunal.
 an issue raised by a member of staff concerning a service provided in connection
with his or her employment (e.g. salary payment, maintenance of office equipment).
This is viewed as an internal administrative matter and should be raised by
contacting the relevant service area.
Issues that should be addressed under an alternative process are not
complaints:
 a challenge to a decision concerning progress, assessment or award. Such decisions
may be the subject of an academic appeal
 a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act or Data Protection Act
 a grievance by a member of staff which is eligible for handling through the Grievance
Procedure
 an attempt to have a complaint reconsidered where the University’s Complaints
Procedure has been completed and a decision has been issued. If a complainant
remains dissatisfied after consideration of the complaint under Stage 1, they may
request that it is reconsidered at Stage 2. When Stage 2 is concluded, the
complainant will be advised that the University has come to the end of the process
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and if they remain dissatisfied they may seek external adjudication by the Scottish
Public Services Ombudsman.
a concern regarding the behaviour of a student. Previously complaints made
by students against other students were handled under the Complaints
Procedure. The new Procedure does not cover such situations. Therefore
allegations regarding the behaviour of a student should be brought to the
attention of the Head of School of the student in question, for consideration
of whether the matter should be referred to a Senate Assessor under the
Code of Student Conduct. The Code of Practice on Unacceptable
Behaviour provides a helpful framework for considering the allegation made.
For More Guidance with Examples see Appendix A
Our previous Complaints Procedure required formal complaints to be set out on a
‘Stage 1 Complaint Form’, so there was no ambiguity about the status of the matter
being raised. The new Procedure has been laid down by the Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman and does not permit the University to have such a requirement.
Consequently, complaints may be raised in writing, in person or by telephone.
(However, a Complaint Form will be available and you may encourage complainants
to complete the form where you think this will help clarify the issues being raised.)
Unfortunately it is not possible to give a water-tight definition of a complaint. It will
often be evident from the way that the issue is presented whether it is a complaint.
If in doubt, after an initial discussion of the issue, you can ask ‘would you like me to
treat this as a complaint under our Complaints Procedure?’
Complaints should not be about trivial matters. However, the new Complaints
Procedure talks about ‘on the spot resolution’ of a complaint. This might occur, for
instance, where the actual problem is fairly minor but the complainant has not
received a response to several requests for help or there has been an unreasonable
delay in providing the action/help needed. On the other hand, someone may appear
at your office clearly agitated about a situation. It may be enough to listen to the
problem and provide an explanation of why things are the way they are. That isn’t
necessarily dealing with a complaint. Such a conversation may be preliminary to
someone deciding whether or not to bring a complaint.
Another test is to consider whether the person raising the issue appears to require a
response. It may be that they are satisfied simply with having made a point or
expressed their opinion – ‘I thought that the course content was too theoretical and
there should be more focus on recent developments in the field’ or ‘I think that
there should be a better way of keeping the food hot, as the last three meals I have
eaten here have either been cold or have been dried out’. If the person is keen to
give their contact details (where these are not already obvious), and appears to
require a considered response to the issues, possibly including an apology or other
remedy, that makes it more likely that it is a complaint.
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If you are unsure whether something should be treated as a complaint, please
contact the Senate Office. We will also monitor the complaint reports that are
submitted to identify matters that do not justify being treated as ‘complaints’ and
with time will build up a more comprehensive set of guidelines, based on
experience. Ultimately, where Senate Office staff are not sure whether a particular
issue should be treated as a complaint, the Ombudsman’s office will be asked for a
view.
Receiving complaints is not in itself a cause for concern. The Ombudsman’s office is
interested in the way that the University responds to complaints: the lessons
learned, the improvements to processes that they lead to as well as whether the
complaints are upheld or dismissed.
Q. I think a student does have a complaint, so what do I do?
A. Is it a high risk or high profile complaint?
Q. Can you define that?
A. It is a high risk or high profile complaint if it involves a death or serious injury; serious
service failure (e.g. major delays in service provision or repeated failures to provide a
service); generates significant and on-going press interest; poses a serious operational risk
to the Institution; presents issues of a highly sensitive nature.
Q. It is a high profile complaint, so what do I do?
A. Refer the complaint immediately to the Senate Office and they will identify an
appropriate senior manager to deal with it.
Q. It’s not a high level complaint or something which could be addressed under an
alternative process. What do I do?
A. Have a Stage One Complaint Form to hand (MS Word version here: Stage 1 Complaint
form , online version here: Stage 1 Complaint Form
Ask the student ‘would you like me to treat this as a complaint under our Complaints
Procedure?’ Ask the student to complete the form and provide any supporting evidence
(documentation such as printed material or email).
NB. Please inform the Teaching & Student Support Administrator
(Kenneth.hutton@glasgow.ac.uk) of any Stage One Complaint cases which have begun.
Q. The student doesn’t want to fill in a Stage One Complaint Form, what do I do?
A. They are not making a formal complaint but should be regarded as having a problem
or issue which you should try to resolve.
Q. The student has completed the Stage One Form. What happens next?
A. Identify who is best to deal with the complaint (see 29.7.6 of the Complaints Procedure).
If it must go to another person then don’t just send the student away with contact details of
the person to speak to, liaise personally and hand the complaint over, after making a copy
of the complaint and noting who it went to and when. Keep a copy of this for audit purposes
should it be needed. You don’t need to send that to the Senate Office or anywhere else –
just securely store it.
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NB. If you have not done so by this stage then please inform the Teaching & Student
Support Administrator (Kenneth.hutton@glasgow.ac.uk) about the complaint.
Q. I have been identified as the person to deal with a Stage One complaint. Where do I
start?
A. As above, establish of it is a complaint. If so, make sure the Stage One Complaint Form
has been completed by the student (or their representative1 – you will need written
permission from the student that the representative has their consent to act for them).
You have five working days to deal with the complaint and bring it to a conclusion. A formal
record2 should be kept of how the complaint is being dealt with, specifying the details of the
complaint, the nature of any investigation and the outcome including any actions taken. The
complainant should be provided with a letter detailing the outcome.
Q. How do I go about dealing with each part of the complaint?
A. Use your judgement and experience or consult with others if you are inexperienced in
dealing with student complaints. The Stage One Complaint Form itself will act as additional
guidance.
Q. What if I can’t deal with it in five working days?
A. You can request an extension from the Senate Office if you think the complaint might be
resolved soon. If not, it will become a Stage 2 Complaint if the student chooses to make it
so.
Q. What if I have dealt with it, given the student my findings in writing and the student is
not satisfied?
A. It becomes a Stage 2
Q. What if the student becomes aggressive or hounds me for progress or acts in other
ways which I consider to be unreasonable during the investigation of the complaint?
A.. Staff should not have to tolerate aggressive or unreasonable behaviour. The University
has a Code of Practice on Unacceptable Behaviour
(http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_286035_en.pdf#page=72&view=fitH,205) which provides a
definition of unacceptable behaviour and action that can be taken if behaviour is causing
concern. Normally the first step is to warn the person that their behaviour is deemed to be
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Senate Office advice: “A complainant is not required to submit the form, they can be asked if they will do so,
but if they choose not to the complaint still has to be resolved and logged.” This is confusing since if the
complaint has to be logged without the Stage One Complaint form then we will have to all intents and
purposes a Stage One Complaint Form written out by whoever is dealing with the complaint. If we called it a
“Complaint Log” or some such then it is little different to a Stage One Complaint form. Clarification from
Senate Office needed. KH 21/10/2013..
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Senate Office advice: “The formal record will be the submission of the online form after the complaint has
been completed – the url for this could be provided
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/senateoffice/workingwithstudents/complaints/logstage1complaint/. Keeping a
record while the complaint is being dealt with would be useful for the comp handler but it does not need to be
retained once the complaint is completed and logged on the online form (thereafter we keep the record in
Senate Office)”
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unacceptable (referring to the definitions of the Code) and asking them to desist. The
Senate Office can provide further advice in dealing with such cases.
STAGE TWO COMPLAINTS
Q. The regulations say that a Stage Two Complaint must be raised by a student through the Senate
Office. Surely if we are aware of a Stage One Complaint which is unresolved then we as staff
should refer the case to the Senate Office as a Stage Two Complaint?
A. Yes, this can be done by the Stage One complaint handler if they think this would help.
Q. Are Schools informed of Stage Two complaints being reported to Senate Office?
A. Yes, if the complaint has a locus in the School, the School will be advised in the course of the
investigation.
Q. Are individuals informed about Stage Two complaints which involve them being reported to
Senate Office?
A. Yes, members of staff who are named in a complaint will always be advised of the complaint and
be given the opportunity to respond to it in writing and/or in person.
Q. I’m a Stage Two Complaints Officer/Investigator. How do we go about mediation? The
guidelines (quoted below) don’t seem very clear. They tell me there is no formal mediation service
but ask students to ask me about one. I don’t know what to tell them:
“29.9.15 Using mediation can help both parties to understand what is driving the
complaint, and may be more likely to result in a mutually satisfactory conclusion being
reached. Whilst the University does not have a formal mediation service, parties wishing to
consider alternatives to a complaint investigation should enquire about this with the
investigating officer. Where other means of dispute resolution are attempted, the complaint
investigation will be suspended.”
A. This is referring to informal mediation which may occur during a complaint investigation. For
example having established the key issues of the complaint, it may become apparent that the best
way to address the matter is for the complainant and one of the parties involved in the complaint to
meet to find discuss the best way to address the problem. This would need to be by mutual
agreement and in the presence of the investigating officer or another third party. Advice can always
be sought from the Senate Office if the investigating officer wants to pursue this route, or it has
been suggested to him/her by the complainant or someone responding to the complaint.
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Appendix A
Some examples
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Students reporting problems with the teaching or administration of a course.
Issues raised through staff-student liaison committees, routine questionnaires or focus
groups do not come under the definition of a complaint, and students should be
encouraged to use such routine feedback mechanisms as they arise. Some individuals
prefer to raise issues in such ways without labelling them as a complaint.
A student who presents various issues, saying that they are not happy with the courses
that they are taking may or may not be raising a complaint. He or she may be realizing
that their chosen courses do not suit them, rather than alleging that there is anything
fundamentally wrong with the way that the courses are being delivered. Instead of
feeling that such issues need to be labelled as a complaint, there may be a legitimate
stage of talking/corresponding with the student to enable him or her to identify what it
is that they are unhappy with and to refer to appropriate advice and support. Staff must
be mindful of the requirement to deal with a complaint within the timescales laid down
by the Ombudsman but the clock does not start until we are sure that the matter is a
complaint.
2a
Why isn’t wifi available in this seminar room?
Not a complaint. This is a request for an explanation or a first time request for a service.
2b
I attended a half day seminar in seminar room X. We were split into groups to
undertake research and then make a presentation. This depended on the availability
of wifi in the room. Wifi was not available. The lecturer did not know who to contact
about this. She left the room for half an hour and came back not having found anyone
to address the problem. No other rooms appeared to be available. The lecturer
appeared unable to suggest alternative work for us to tackle. The entire three hour
session was wasted.
A complaint. Several issues are raised that require a response, though it revolves around
the basic issue of wifi being unavailable.
3a
Why was course X cancelled?
Not a complaint. An request for an explanation. No indication that the complainant was
particularly impacted by the cancellation or even that they thought it was unreasonable.
Such a request for information may lead to a complaint when the person has had the
chance to reflect on the information provided.
3b
I registered for course X. It was due to start on Monday evening and on the
Thursday I received an e-mail telling me the course was cancelled. I had by then put in
place several arrangements to enable me to attend classes, including turning down a
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place on an alternative course which is now full. There was no warning that the class
might not run.
A complaint. The person is explaining why the situation is serious for them and in what
ways they believe the University has acted unreasonably. They may be seeking a specific
remedy (e.g. apology, transfer to another course).
4a
I am unable to register to graduate. Can you help resolve this?
Not a complaint – a first time request for a service. While the system should enable
students to register, it is normal within any administrative system that some assistance
may be required, and the University’s systems offer help facilities.
4b
I am unable to register to graduate. I asked for help and the solution offered
didn’t address the problem. Can you offer another possible solution?
Probably still not a complaint. The solution offered may well have included a statement
along the lines of ‘If this doesn’t solve the problem, please contact us again/reactivate
the query’. If so, this is probably still within the realms of working together to solve an
administrative problem.
4c
I am unable to register to graduate. The fee has been deducted from my bank
account but I still can’t register and the two solutions I have been offered don’t work.
The deadline for registration is two days from now. I need this to be sorted out.
A complaint: the situation has become time-critical, the scenario has become more
serious as money has been taken by the University but the required ‘service’ has not
been provided, there is evident frustration in the statement and an explanation clearly
needs to be provided as to how this scenario has developed, and a resolution achieved.
5a
I would like to take course X but I think the fees are too high.
Not a complaint: a request for an explanation of fee policy.
5b
I took course X and do not feel that it was good value for money. There were
only six teaching sessions and there were 20 other people in the class and I hardly got
to speak to the tutor at all. We had one piece of work marked and I hardly got any
comments on mine. The room was also far too small and there weren’t enough desks.
I would like half of my fees returned because the course was not worth the money I
paid.
This is a complaint. Several issues are raised that require a response. The person is
explaining in detail why they feel that the amount charged was too high in relation to
the experience delivered.
6a
Two of the PCs in the study area are not working
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Not a complaint – a first time request for a service, i.e. for the PCs to be repaired.
6b
The last three times I have come to the study area I couldn’t get on to a
working PC. The second time I came I reported the faulty PCs and was told that they
would be fixed by yesterday. When I came in yesterday there were even more
machines not working. I have to submit coursework next week and can’t make
progress without using the software available on these machines.
A complaint. The service that was promised has not been delivered. The scenario has
become more serious with the imminent coursework submission date.
7
The bank is taking a long time to open my account and so I haven’t been able
to register or pay for my accommodation.
Not a complaint: it is not complaining about the service delivered by the University. It
looks like a first-time request for assistance from the University until the bank makes
the money available.
8
I am a member of staff and I am unhappy about the state of repair of a building
on campus.
Generally issues raised by staff are unlikely to be complaints. A request for maintenance
to a member of staff’s working environment (office/classroom/lecture theatre) should
be treated as an internal matter, dealt with in accordance with normal protocols. The
exception would be where the area was providing a ‘service’ to the member of staff
beyond their normal working environment (e.g. complaints about the changing facilities
in the sports hall).
9
I am a member of staff and I am unhappy with the instructions I have been
given
Not a complaint. An internal matter for the line manager, which the member of staff
could ultimately escalate to the Grievance Procedure.
10
My company attended a careers fair and I am dissatisfied with the position we
were given and the lack of facilities available on the day.
A complaint. Complaints do not have to come from students or staff.
11
My company wants to advertise an unpaid internship and the University will
not allow this.
A request for an explanation of University policy is not a complaint. Depending on the
way that this issue is presented, it might be sufficient simply to state that the
University’s agreed policy is not to advertise these positions. If the company is
challenging this policy and putting forward arguments against the policy then it
probably needs to be treated as a complaint.
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I am a student and I think that the waiting time to see a counsellor or a careers
adviser is too long.
Again, whether this amounts to a complaint depends on whether it is simply a query
about what the waiting time is/should be. If it is an expression that in their case the
time was too long (irrespective of the agreed norm) then it is a complaint. The number
of complaints can be reduced by having clear signposting in supporting literature to
what normal waiting times are and to the factors that sometimes mean these times
cannot be adhered to.
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