//. COMPLAINTS

All departmental publications say that if you have a problem with a course or lecturer you should take the issue to the individual concerned or the HOD in the first instance. This is good advice if you feel confident. Many students however, feel that they will be identified as a troublemaker if they raise a problem. In our experience, this isn't necessarily true, but it is an understandable concern. If you decide not to take the departmental path but still want your problem dealt with, there are a number of people you can approach for help, advice and advocacy.

Firstly, you can take the problem to your class rep. Class reps act as a liaison between the class and the department, and once trained, offer guidance and support. To find out who your class rep is, you need to search the class rep database. You may find it difficult to locate some courses, especially professional and postgraduate courses. Don't give up! Run another search, this time by subject code only. A subject code search will give you all the class reps for that subject. If your class does not have a class rep, please contact the Education Office. To search the class rep database, click here.

 Secondly, you can bring the problem directly to the Education and Advocacy Office. We will advise and help you to the best of our ability and we will give you options as to how the problem may be solved - at any stage you can withdraw from the process or decide to go it alone. It’s up to you - you can deal with problem yourself after support and advice from us, we can support you in meetings as you try to deal with the problem and/or we can act as your advocate and try to deal with the problem on your behalf. Everything that you say to us will be treated in the strictest confidence.

 Thirdly, you can approach a Joint Academic Grievance Committee contact. The purpose of JAGC is to seek the resolution of all academic-related grievances held by students against staff and to foster a climate of behaviour in the University in which grievances do not arise. Please feel free to approach any of the JAGC contacts. The contacts are all very student-friendly and approachable people. Check out the yellow “Got a problem even Batman can’t solve?” posters around campus for a list of the JAGC contacts.

Remember, all UC students are entitled to ask for a reconsideration of any original decision by the person who made it. You need to do this in writing. You must be notified in writing of the outcome of the reconsideration. If you are still unhappy you can make a formal complaint or appeal. For information on appeals, click here.