development and skills conference 2013: iain rowan - student complaints
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Why do students complain and appeal, and what should we do
about it?
Iain RowanAssistant Director of Academic Services
University of Sunderland
![Page 2: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Introduction
• The difference between complaint and appeal• Who complains and why?• What makes a good (and bad) complaint?• How should we deal with complaints?• Some complications…• Sources of support• Case studies
![Page 3: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Complaint…or appeal
• What’s the difference?
![Page 4: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
What type of student is most likely to complain?
• All data courtesy of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)
• Taken from their Annual Report 2012http://oiahe.org.uk/decisions-and-publications/annual-reports.aspx
• …so who are the OIA anyway, and what do they do?• ...but my institution is in Scotland or N. Ireland!
![Page 5: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
![Page 6: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
![Page 7: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
![Page 8: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
![Page 9: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
![Page 10: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
![Page 11: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
What makes for a bad (or good) complaint?
• Not clear about issue• Not clear about desired outcomes• Irrelevant material included• Unevidenced• Inflammatory or abusive
![Page 12: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Dealing with complaints
• Follow procedure• The critical importance of evidence, documentation and
good record-keeping• Contemporaneous note-taking• Transparency of evidence• Think about full disclosure…but don’t forget about data
protection
![Page 13: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Dealing with complaints
• Supporting all parties – students, staff, victims and alleged perpetrators
• Considering the role of mental health, and the support implications.
• Considering the role of disabilities, the DDA, and the implications.
• Consider and evaluate risk clearly and without assumptions.
![Page 14: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Responding to complaints
• Address every issue• Be clear if not upheld why that is• Be clear on action taken – even if not an action which
affects that student• Don’t be afraid to use the ‘A word’.• Perceptions of justice
![Page 15: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Some complications
• Third party involvement• Mental health• Dealing with unacceptable complainant behaviour• Legal action• Collaborative activity• Complaints/appeals
![Page 16: Development and Skills Conference 2013: Iain rowan - student complaints](https://reader033.vdocuments.site/reader033/viewer/2022060107/554c62f5b4c905f76f8b4673/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Sources of support
• The OIA – case studies, annual reports, seminars, good practice guidance
• The QAA Quality Code Chapter B9• Academic Registrars’ Council Complaints and Appeals
Practitioners’ GroupScottish Public Services Ombudsman