Consultation launched into how complaints handled

[Hetty ter Haar]

Student complaints rising by 10% a year
Students becoming 'more assertive'
Consultation launched into how complaints handled

Anthea Lipsett and agencies
Wednesday October 29 2008
guardian.co.uk


Student complaints are rising at around 10% per year, the higher
education watchdog said today.

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)
said that the increase would continue, as it launched a consultation
to improve the way students' complaints are handled.

The complaints the OIA deals with from students range from the
procedures used in coming to decisions about a degree to problems with
university accommodation.

Rob Behrens, chief executive of the OIA said: "We look at a whole
range of things including what the student is promised when they come
on the course, the service they receive, whether the buildings they
use are appropriate and whether the halls of residence are up to
standard.

"But the bulk of the issues we deal with are academic related."

He said: "In its first four years the OIA has reviewed and closed
2,000 complaints, awarded ?500,000 in compensation to students and
made numerous recommendations to higher education institutions to
change and develop regulations and practice."

Since 2004, about 25% of the cases the OIA has dealt with were
"justified or partly justified," he said.

"It looks as if the increase in complaints will continue."

"The bottom line is students are today more assertive in thinking
about what their rights are and what are the things they can get from
the commitments they make.

"That changes the terms of trade, they are now prepared to challenge
the authorities.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, in fact it's a good thing, but it
explains why the number of complaints is growing."

Behrens said the "pathway project" would meet the needs of the users
of the OIA, the 146 university and college members, ministers and
others in the sector.

As well as the consultation, starting in December there will be an
independent qualitative study of the views of those that use the OIA
service by King's College London.

Before the OIA was formed, students who had complaints about their
higher education had to deal directly with the university or consider
taking their case to court.

Behrens said he would hope students would prefer to go to the OIA
first to resolve any complaints.

Prof Norman Gowar, chair of the OIA board, said: "This is exactly what
the OIA needs as this time ? a rigorous, independent and genuinely
consultative exercise."

The project is expected to make recommendations next summer.

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008