There may come a time where you feel let down, like your expectations have not been met or there is something you are not entirely happy with. UCA has put together a three-stage complaints process, designed to address your issue in a structured and efficient way for everyone involved. They would always want to address your concerns as they arise, and in most cases, the complaint can be resolved informally. There will be no backlash on you as a student or on your studies if you decide to make a complaint. Everything is kept confidential unless you consent for us to share it with a person relevant to the case. With any complaints, you can visit the Students' Union office on campus or email advice.su@uca.ac.uk, and we can explain how it works and provide support.
If you'd like to read about the complaints process in detail, you can check out UCA's complaints policy.
Stage 1: Local
This is the first attempt at resolving any complaint, in an informal or local way. This consists of a conversation taking place between yourself or your group, and the person you are complaining about whether that be staff or another student. This conversation can be set up by the Students' Union, and a member of the SU can be present to support, mediate and advocate for you if that is something you would like. This can also be coordinated by a Faculty Complaints Coordinator. Having vocalised your complaint in the meeting, the student or staff member of concern should then look into the problem and work with you to come up with a resolution.
Stage 2: The University
If the local attempt does not resolve your complaint and you are still feeling dissatisfied with the outcome, then you can move it to a stage 2 complaint at the university level. To do that, you must fill out a form and send it to the Quality Manager for appeals and complaints. You will need to outline the specific details of your complaint and explain why it was not resolved at stage 1. You can download the form fromMyUCA (‘Student Complaints and Appeals’ tab). As always, the Students' Union can be there to support you with this each step of the way. The Complaints Policy details the regulations and procedures of the University’s complaints process. The University always welcomes feedback on the policy itself, so if you feel there are areas that aren’t working as well as they could, please let the Students’ Union know so we can pass your comments on to the appropriate person.
Stage 3:The Appeal
On the occasion that your complaint has not been resolved at stage 1 or 2, then you can appeal by writing to the Vice Chancellor. The guidance says you should do this if there is new evidence, if the decision is unreasonable or if a procedural error has taken place. The university and Students' Union would always hope that your complaint can be resolved at stage 1 or 2, though this stage exists to ensure that each complaint is dealt with properly and to the student’s satisfaction.