The University welcomes feedback from its students and there are a number of ways you can tell us about your experience. We also recognise that there may be times when you are dissatisfied with your experience and may feel that it is necessary to raise this formally. The procedure to follow will depend on the nature of the concern and the range of options available to you is set out below.
No student will be disadvantaged by submitting a complaint or raising a concern and we will work constructively with you to address any issues you have raised.
The extent to which we can act on anonymous complaints may be limited and we will explain this to you when you contact us. We may monitor anonymous complaints to identify any trends or underlying issues that can be addressed without identifying the complainant.
Support available
Students who are seeking to raise a concern about any aspect of their experience at University can access the following sources of support and guidance:
- If you would like independent advice about raising a concern or complaint, you can contact Roehampton Students' Union.
- All students can contact the University Wellbeing Service for confidential support. Contact details and further information about the Wellbeing Team can be found on the Student Portal here and the University website here.
- Students can also contact the Student Casework Team at studentcomplaints@roehampton.ac.uk for advice on how to submit a complaint via any of the procedures listed below.
- Other information about support is available on the Student Portal here and the University website here.
The University’s Student Complaints Policy and Procedure provides a framework for students to raise complaints about their experience at the University in a timely and effective way. The Student Complaints Policy and Procedure covers the following types of complaints:
- Failure by the University to meet its obligations including those outlined in programme documentation or the Student Contract
- Misleading or incorrect information in prospectuses, promotional material or other information provided by the University
- Concerns about the delivery of a programme, including teaching, administration or supervision, including programmes provided by a partner institution where the complainant has already exhausted the partner institution’s internal procedures
- Poor quality of facilities, learning resources or services provided by the University
- Complaints involving other organisations or contractors providing a service on behalf of the University where it has been agreed that the University is the appropriate channel for complaint.
The other sections on this page contain information about how to raise other types of concerns not outlined above. If you have any queries about the correct procedure to follow, you can contact the University Secretariat at studentcomplaints@roehampton.ac.uk for advice.
To submit a complaint, students should follow this procedure:
Stage 1 – Early Resolution
Students are encouraged to address concerns informally and with the individuals responsible for the service being provided. This may include through established feedback channels such as Student Reps or a Programme Board. The following individuals can also be contacted about the informal resolution of a complaint:
- An academic guidance tutor, module convenor or programme convenor
- A dissertation or research degree supervisor
- A department’s Academic Services Manager
- A Head of College
- The head of the service being complained about
- Roehampton Students’ Union
The best way to speak to the individuals listed above is by making an appointment or via email. To get in contact with these individuals, you can speak to your department’s Academic Services Office, the College Team, the Wellbeing Team or you can consult the University’s staff directory.
Students should raise a complaint as soon as possible and normally within three months of the issue arising. Students should expect to receive a response to their Stage 1 complaint either verbally or in writing, although this may not be from the individual that they initially contacted.
Stage 2 – Formal Stage
Students whose Stage 1 complaints have not been satisfactorily resolved, or whose concerns are too serious to be considered informally, should submit a Student Complaint Form to the University Secretariat at studentcomplaints@roehampton.ac.uk.
A complaint that is submitted more than three months after the issue arises may not be investigated. Where possible, students should submit evidence to support any claims made in a complaint and set out clearly what they would like to happen as a result. Types of evidence may include copies of documents, email correspondence or notes from meetings. The types of outcomes requested as part of a formal complaint may include an apology, a change to the way a service is run or a refund or payment of compensation.
The University Secretariat will acknowledge in writing all complaints received and, if suitable, arrange for the complaint to be investigated. In some cases, this investigation may take place under the University’s staff investigation procedure or may be conducted by an external investigator. The investigator may want to speak to the complainant, who will have the right to bring another student or a Roehampton Students’ Union representative to any meetings conducted as part of the investigation.
Once the investigation has been concluded, the complainant will receive a letter from the University Secretariat with the outcome and a copy of the investigation report (if relevant). The letter will also set out any remedies to the complaint.
The Stage 2 process will normally be concluded within 60 days of the University Secretariat receiving the Student Complaint Form.
Stage 3 – Review process
Students who are dissatisfied with the Stage 2 response can submit a complaint at Stage 3 within 14 days of receiving the Stage 2 outcome letter. Stage 3 complaints may only be submitted on the following grounds:
- There has been a material procedural irregularity or a clear breach of the process which has demonstrably affected the outcome of the Stage 2 complaint
- The outcome at Stage 2 is unreasonable given the facts of the case
- There is material new evidence which the student was unable – for valid and evidenced reasons – to provide when the Stage 2 complaint was made and which would have materially affected the outcome of the Stage 2 complaint.
A Stage 3 complaint will be reviewed by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) and they will decide whether to confirm the Stage 2 decision or amend the decision in some way. The Pro Vice-Chancellor will write to the student to confirm the Stage 3 outcome, normally within 14 days.
Stage 3 is the final stage in the University’s procedure for handling student complaints. Students who remain dissatisfied may have the option of submitting a complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (further information about this can be found at https://www.oiahe.org.uk/).
Students who are unhappy with academic decisions made by the University may be able to submit an academic appeal. More information about academic appeals is available on the academic appeals pages.
To make a complaint about on-campus accommodation, students can contact the Accommodation Office on 020 8392 3166. For formal complaints about University accommodation, please see the Accommodation Complaints Procedure.
Students who wish to make a complaint about the behaviour of another student can contact the following:
- An academic guidance tutor, module convenor or programme convenor
- A dissertation or research degree supervisor
- A Head of College
- Roehampton Students’ Union
- A College Life Development Officer
- A Student Wellbeing Officer
- A College Warden
- The University Security Team
- A Flat Rep
- Roehampton Students’ Union
The best way to speak to the individuals listed above is by making an appointment or via email. To get in contact with these individuals, you can speak to your department’s Academic Services Office, the College Team, the Wellbeing Team or you can consult the University’s staff directory.
For complaints about serious student misconduct, students can write to the University Secretariat at studentdisciplinary@roehampton.ac.uk. Investigations into allegations of student misconduct are conducted under the terms of the Student Code of Conduct and Student Disciplinary Regulations.
Students who have experienced bullying or harassment can contact the following:
- An academic guidance tutor, module convenor or programme convenor
- A dissertation or research degree supervisor
- A Head of College
- Roehampton Students’ Union
- A College Life Development Officer
- A Student Wellbeing Officer
- A College Warden
- The University Security Team
- A Flat Rep
- Roehampton Students’ Union
The best way to speak to the individuals listed above is by making an appointment or via email. To get in contact with these individuals, you can speak to your department’s Academic Services Office, the College Team, the Wellbeing Team or you can consult the University’s staff directory.
Formal complaints about bullying and harassment will be managed under the University’s Dignity and Respect Policy and should be submitted to the University Secretariat at studentcomplaints@roehampton.ac.uk using the Student Complaints Form.
Students who have experienced sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, should review the advice available on the Student Support webpages here.
Concerns about placements fall into two categories:
- For complaints about a student’s experience on a placement, students should follow the Student Complaints Policy and Procedure.
- For concerns about safety or professionalism in a placement learning environment, students should immediately speak to their placement tutor or equivalent, in accordance with the Raising Concerns Procedure.
Between 21 and 22 February 2022, and 28 February to 02 March 2022, members of the University and College Union (UCU) undertook a period of strike action. The University's priority during and after this strike was to minimise its impact on all of our students. This included ensuring as far as possible that you received information on the changes, if any, to teaching, lectures, assessments and other activities. We also ran a number of additional activities during the strike to mitigate its impact on students.
If you feel that the steps that the University has taken to mitigate the impact of this period of strike action on you have not been sufficient, you can submit a complaint at Stage 1 of the University's Student Complaint procedure using this form. The form should be sent to studentcomplaints@roehampton.ac.uk.
The deadline for submitting complaints about this round of industrial action is 06 June 2022.
A further round of strike action took place from 25 March 2022 to 01 April 2022. The deadline for submitting complaints about this round of industrial action is 02 July 2022.
The University has posted a suite of information about the strike which is available on the Student Portal here.
This page includes information about ongoing mitigation and how to claim reimbursement for additional expenses.
Between 01 December 2021 and 04 December 2021, members of the University and College Union (UCU) undertook a period of strike action. The University deadline for submitting complaints about this round of strike action was 04 March 2022.
The University subscribes to the independent scheme offered by the Officer of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) for the review of student complaints. If a student is dissatisfied with the outcome of a concern raised under one of the above policies or procedures, they may be able to apply to the OIA for a review of the University’s decision, providing the complaint is eligible under its rules.
Further guidance about submitting a complaint to the OIA is available at their website: https://www.oiahe.org.uk/students/how-to-complain-to-us/. Roehampton Students’ Union can provide advice on submitting a complaint to the OIA.