How to make a complaint

Introduction

You will need to take your complaint through the internal complaints or appeals procedures of the university before we can look at your complaint. Once you have completed the university’s procedures, it should give you a Completion of Procedures Letter.

If you are not satisfied with the university’s final decision and would like the OIA to review your complaint, you should complete a Scheme Application Form. You can also contact us by email, post or telephone and we will send you a Form. Forms may also be available from the university or students’ union.

We must receive your signed Scheme Application Form in this Office within three months of the date of the Completion of Procedures Letter; otherwise we may consider your complaint to be out of time. For example, if your Completion of Procedures Letter is dated 7 January, we should receive your Scheme Application Form by 7 April

You will also need to send us a copy of the Completion of Procedures Letter.

You should keep proof of posting or sending us your Scheme Application Form.

Once you have submitted your form, you should receive an acknowledgement from us within 14 days (28 days from overseas). If you do not receive an acknowledgement you should contact us again.

Late complaints

If the three month deadline for sending us your Scheme Application Form has already passed, but there are exceptional reasons why you were unable to send us your Form, you should enclose a covering letter explaining these reasons. You should also enclose any relevant evidence (for example, a medical certificate). We will consider the reasons why your Form is late.

Completing the university's procedures

If you are unsure how to make a formal complaint or appeal to the university, please see the university handbook and/or website. The students’ union may also be able to help you. We cannot give advice about the procedures of any university because we are an independent review body.

If you think you have completed the internal complaints or appeals procedures of the university and it has not provided a Completion of Procedures Letter, you should write to the university and ask it to send you one, or tell you how to complete its procedures. Keep copies of all correspondence with the university and if it does not reply within a reasonable time, please contact us.

In exceptional circumstances, we may look at a complaint where the internal complaints or appeals procedures have not been completed. You will need to complete our Scheme Application Form and explain why you do not have a Completion of Procedures Letter.

Checklist