Case Summaries

Procedural issues: Importance of following procedures - PI011513

Public interest case January 2015 | Partly Justified

Kellogg College, Oxford

We found a student’s complaint about the way her appeal and subsequent complaint were handled Partly Justified because the College had not followed the University’s academic appeal procedures.

The College had agreed to reconsider the student’s appeal following our intervention. It rejected the appeal again, but acknowledged its failure to apply the appeals process correctly and offered compensation of £500 and an apology to the student. The student brought her complaint back to us.

We noted that the student had experienced considerable delays, and if her original appeal had been handled correctly the matter would have been resolved much sooner. We also noted that the student had needed to make several attempts to obtain a Completion of Procedures Letter following the consideration of her original appeal. It was evident that not all staff were familiar with the University’s procedures.

We recommended increased payment of £1,000 for distress and inconvenience.