If you have a complaint about your course or other non-academic University issue, there are various steps you can take, both informal and formal. Students are often confused as to whom to raise their complaint with. Your Students’ Union are here to direct you to the best people who may be able to resolve your complaint, taking into consideration the sensitivity of the circumstances which may be involved.
Limahl, The Advice service co-ordinator, and Francesca, the Welfare and Education Officer can assist students at all stages of the complaints procedure. It is important that you follow the procedures correctly, so if you want to make a complaint against Goldsmiths come in and see them in your Students’ Union.
Below are the five stages of the complaints procedure. Each stage must be exhausted before the student moves onto the next
Stage 1: Informal Complaint
Stage 2: Formal Complaint at Departmental Level
Stage 3: Formal Complaint at Institutional Level
Stage 4: Appeal
Stage 5: Complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator
If it is an academic related complaint, essentially the first step is about discussion and raising awareness of the issue by talking to your tutors or module/award leaders. This is stage 1 of Goldsmiths complaints procedure. It is recommended, where possible, to try and resolve your complaint informally and as quickly as possible with the person you have your grievance with.
If you feel that your complaint has not been acted upon then raise it, in writing, with your senior tutor. If you are unsure of whom to raise your complaint with please come to your Students’ Union for advice. Each faculty is covered by a specific senior tutor and your Students’ Union can give you the name and contact details of the right person for your complaint. Taking your complaint to a senior tutor is stage 2 of the complaints procedure.
Your Students’ Union will be able to assist you with submitting a formal complaint by supporting you when you are writing the letter and making sure that you have addressed it to the correct person. If after making a formal complaint to the senior tutor you are still unhappy and can demonstrate significant grounds for dissatisfaction i.e. there is new evidence for consideration or there has been a material irregularity in the investigation of the complaint then you can take it to the final stage of the departments’ internal complaints procedure. This involves writing a further letter to the Head of department.
The Head of department will consider your complaint and if appropriate, may make a decision regarding resolution of the complaint, or may refer the complaint back to the senior tutor for further action. Any decision made by the Head of department overrides a decision of the senior tutor.
Details of the relevant guidelines for your course should be given to you during enrolment. For additional information, you can also refer to your University Student Handbook.
If you have exhausted the full Goldsmiths complaints procedure but are still unhappy, you may be able to take your complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). You will however, ONLY be able to do this if you have followed all of the internal procedures first.
The OIA was established to provide an independent scheme for the review of student complaints. The OIA will only review certain types of complaints so for more information about the OIA check out www.oiahe.org.uk or come and seek advice from your Students’ Union.
plagiarism can be quite complicated as there are different institutions that see plagiarism differently to others. It essentially is taking someone else’s thoughts/ideas or words and passing them off as your own. This can be done unintentionally just by incorrectly sighting or by forgetting to sight something.
If you have been accused of plagiarism and have been called to a hearing, you can bring a representative with you. The students’ union advice service can give you some guidance for the hearing as well as accompany you to the hearing as a representative. Please contact the advice service to come and speak to us about the situation.
It is always a good idea to attend a plagiarism guidance workshop if your course runs one, even if you think you know how to avoid accidentally plagiarising.
The college does not have an official extension procedure, this means that if you are unable to hand in work by the given deadline, you will have to write to the board of examiners to explain any mitigating circumstances you may have (see below).
Depending on what the circumstances are, if the examiners accept, your work would be marked without any penalisation. However, if they do not accept you may be given a late mark.
Sometimes things can occur which are outside of your control and significantly effect your work. These include things such as illness, bereavement or an administrative error such as the University losing a piece of your work. It is important to inform the University as soon as possible if you have a mitigating circumstance.
You need to write to your Department or the Assistant Registrar (Assessments) immediately, informing them of the mitigating circumstance and how it will effect your ability to perform or hand in work on time.
In most circumstances you will need to provide some kind of documentary evidence like a GP’s note, or a note from the counselling service.You need to make sure that this information is available before the Board of Examiners meets at the end of the academic year.
What are extenuating circumstances (EC’s) and when do they apply?
Extenuating circumstances are described by the University as being ‘something major that has happened to you which has seriously affected your performance in an assessment or caused you to miss an examination or fail to hand in an assignment’ which you want the award board to be aware of when it confirms results. They cover situations such as illness and bereavement but the nature of EC’s means that they are wide in scope so can clearly cover other situations.
If you wish to submit EC’s you MUST make sure that you follow the correct procedures and submit a specific EC’s form which you pick up from your faculty or Students’ Union. You need to include as much evidence as possible (if applicable) such as medical evidence. EC’s should be submitted within good time of the exam or assignment that you wish them to cover. Submitting EC’s does not guarantee that they will be accepted but you will be notified either way, in writing, of the board’s decision.
You should be aware that even if your EC’s are accepted, the board cannot award you credit for a failed module, change your mark or exempt you from module fees payable for a second or additional attempt but they can allow you additional chances to take a failed module and also have the ability to ‘uncap’ a resit.
If you submit EC’s once in a year and want them to be considered for subsequent pieces of work later in the year – you MUST ensure you resubmit them in the same way as above at all subsequent dates.
I had some extenuating circumstances in Semester 1 but I was too embarrassed to tell anyone about them unless I had to so I decided to wait and, if I was not happy with my results, put in an Appeal.
Extenuating circumstances are NOT grounds for an appeal. You will simply be advised to refer your case to your School. The EC’s policy states that there must be ‘good and reasonable cause’ why you didn’t submit an EC claim at the appropriate time. Being embarrassed is not good and reasonable cause – the ECs will still be embarrassing later.
Students often have many questions surrounding their Appeal, this is not unusual. Students care about their courses and have invested a lot into them so therefore want to know their options. On top of this, students can find the whole process of appealing both intimidating and confusing. They are worried about what to expect, about how to prepare a case, and where they can get information. They are also worried about how long it will take or whether they have a good case.
However, there is no need to worry over unanswered questions as Limahl, the Advice Service Co-ordinator, in your Students’ Union is here to support and guide you through the process. The energy you lose to stressing over your Appeal will be better used to constructively challenge a decision or focus on your ongoing studies.
Limahl can help you find the answer to a variety of questions that may be troubling you, such as;
-How to lodge your Appeal
-On what grounds you can Appeal
-Submitting your Appeal
-When you can expect to receive information from the Appeal panel
-Whether you should attend the Appeal hearing, and what happens if you do not
-Submission of late documents
-Presenting your case
-How to stand the best chances of a successful Appeal
If you want to win your Appeal, you must prepare for it. As obvious as it sounds, you must know the facts of the case, you must have thought about the points you want to make, and you must be aware of the arguments the other side will make. Supporting evidence will be required- for example a letter from a registered health professional such as a doctor or counsellor.
Things to consider
Did the letter give you a deadline for Appeal applications? If so make sure you try and stick to it as far as possible.
If you are rushed to meet the deadline you do not always have to say why you are appealing at this stage- just that you are.
Did the letter suggest any limitations on your Appeal? If so, make a note as this may be relevant later.
Was it clear to whom you should send the reply? If not contact your Students’ Union or College contact. Start keeping a file of all your correspondence, emails, notes about phone calls, etc. Keep copies of everything. Send all letters via recorded post. Date every letter when it arrives.
Submitting your Appeal
When you are in a position to draft your Appeal do so as soon as possible while facts are still clear in your mind, there is no need to wait for the deadline date to submit it. If you have been given any instructions about when you should submit your written Appeal, you need to pay heed to them. Students can submit additional information any time up to the hearing, however if they provide anything new too close to the hearing date which the panel thinks may be significant, the Appeal result may need to be extended to allow for consideration.
Structure your Appeal to look at all appropriate grounds if you can. Begin with the most important. Then list, in as much detail as you can, exactly the reasons for this. Think out your case and then write it in as logical a way as you can. It helps if you can talk it through with a friend or your Students’ Union. If you can convince them, with luck your case may hold water.
When you have written your Appeal, check it very carefully. Is it completely clear what you mean? Have you got the evidence to back up your statements? Get your Students’ Union to check it for you. Ask them to read it through. Does it make sense? Do they understand it? If your Students’ Union does not understand it, then change it.
Frequently Ask Questions
I have received a mark back that I am unhappy with, can I Appeal?
Appeals must be submitted within 14 working days of your results being officially published by the faculty. You can only Appeal on three grounds:
1) that examiners were not aware of circumstances affecting the student’s performance
2) that there was some form of administrative error or procedural irregularity in the way in which an examination or assessment was conducted
3) that there is evidence of prejudice or of bias on the part of one or more of the examiners such that the validity of the result of the examination is called into question.
I got my results this morning and they are not what I was expecting - how do I Appeal?
First of all, you cannot Appeal because you do not like your results; an Appeal must have ‘grounds’. There are 3 grounds for Appeal permitted by the Procedure (which you should read carefully if you are considering making an Appeal)
I worked hard, I think this mark is incorrect, can I Appeal?
You cannot Appeal simply because you think you worked hard and the mark awarded does not reflect this, unless you have other reasons which do fall into one of the three categories.
Like Extenuating Circumstances (please see additional information on EC’s), Appeals must be submitted on the correct form. The Appeal form is found on-line on the Academic Registry part of the College website. If you would like further advice on the Appeals process please contact your Students’ Union Advice Co-ordinator, Limahl.
YOU CANNOT APPEAL ON THE BASIS OF A DISAGREEMENT WITH THE ACADEMIC JUDGEMENT OF THE EXAM BOARD
How do you plan your Appeal strategy?
It is important to be familiar with the stages of Appeal. You may have to meet deadlines to ensure your Appeal is considered. It is not enough that you have had a conversation with a member of staff in your faculty; you must follow the procedures and submit the correct form/letter.
Your Students’ Union can help at any stage of these processes so please get in touch with us as soon as you feel something is going wrong.
I felt that the mark I received in one piece of work should have been higher as I worked really hard - which ground should I Appeal under?
Disagreeing with academic judgement does not constitute a ground for Appeal. ‘Academic judgement’ includes the mark, the pass or fail decision, the grade etc. given by the person who is marking the piece of work. You may think that the work has been set and marked by one individual, in isolation. However, it is usual for the College to operate safeguards such as more than one person involved in ‘verification’ - which is in relation to the question paper or the essay title in the first place - and ‘moderation’ – where after marking has taken place work may be checked to make sure that the assessment and marking schemes have been applied . Each department has a policy in this area which normally will also include an external examiner being involved in both the verification and moderation processes. If you are unhappy or disappointed with the mark you receive for a piece of work, you should seek feedback in line with the University’s feedback policy which may help you to understand how the mark was arrived at.
How long do I have, to submit an academic Appeal?
You must submit notice of Appeal within 21 days of notification of the decision of the Board of Examiners. Make sure that you read the Appeal form carefully and provide all the information requested. It is your responsibility to make the case, and to make it clearly; reviewers cannot make assumptions - you must spell out the cause and effect for them.
How long will it take for my Appeal to be resolved?
As each Appeal is different there are no general guidelines as to how long an Appeal will take to resolve, but you will be kept up to date at each stage of the Appeal. The College aims to let students know the outcome of their Appeal as quickly as possible.
Can an Appeals Committee raise my grade?
No, the Academic Appeals Committee cannot alter the decision of examiners. The Committee can refer the assessment back to the Board of Examiners to consider it again in the light of new evidence.
I have an ongoing Appeal. Can I still continue on my programme of study?
If there has been a decision to terminate your programme of study, then you are no longer a registered student of the University and therefore will not be able to collect your grant or apply for a student loan. It may be sensible for you to try to keep up with your studies in the hope that your Appeal will be successful. Your department may assist you in this e.g. by allowing you to continue attending lectures or placements, but this is at their discretion. In order to minimise any difficulties arising from this situation, the College will make every effort to process your Appeal as quickly as possible. However, it is essential that proper consideration be given to your Appeal to ensure that the correct decision is made; in some cases this will inevitably take some weeks to achieve. Your assistance in providing information as concisely and as clearly as possible will help things progress as smoothly as possible.
Who can I speak to for more advice about my Appeal?
Staff in your Students’ Union will be able to advise you on submitting an academic Appeal.
What’s the point, the Appeal panel is biased?
It is important to realise that Appeal panels have a level of independence and have the power to consider your application, review any evidence you may provide, speak to any witnesses and make a decision.
If you are considering leaving Goldsmiths or transferring to another University you should speak to your Department Secretary as soon as possible before you make any decisions. They will be able to ensure that you have all the necessary information before you make a final decision and will also be able to give you information on fee liability and other important factors which could affect your decision. Do not forget, if you do leave Goldsmiths and are in receipt of loans and bursaries all of the issuing companies will need to be informed and if you are in Goldsmiths managed accommodation, you are likely to still have a rent liability. Leaving University altogether can have numerous implications on your housing situation so come and see us in the SU Advice Centre for more details!
If you do wish to withdraw from or temporarily interrupt your course then you need to fill out the Interruption and Withdrawal Form. You will need to get approval from your head of department or your senior tutor.
If you are hoping to transfer courses within Goldsmiths then again you need to speak to the Departmental Secretary. It is wise to speak to your current faculty AND the faculty that you are hoping to transfer to. The Departmental sectaries in your ‘new’ faculty will be able to tell you entry requirements for the course and give details on the possibility of a transfer. Therefore, you should speak to them before leaving your current course.
You will be required to fill out the Change of programme form. You will need to get approval from your current head of department/senior tutor and from your prospective head of department/senior tutor.
If you wish to change your chosen course units, you need to fill in the application to change courses within a programme of study. This needs to be done in conjunction with your designated departmental officer.
Your Students’ Union is here to represent you, this includes attending meetings with you. There is a representative that has been trained to attend meetings that you may request. It is important that you attend College meetings however you do not have to do so it alone.
In most cases it is not necessary, however if you want to bring along a solicitor, do make sure that they have experience in Appeals and have a good understanding of education law. Contact the Education Law Association (www.educationalawaaociation.org.uk/) or call on 01303211570. The Education Law service does not operate an advice line; however, it can put you in touch with educational lawyers and voluntary organisations that may be able to advise you.
As a courtesy to everyone in the room, you should not interrupt anyone when they are speaking. Allow them to finish before talking. It is a good idea to take a notebook and pen in with you to make notes of points you wish to raise, or questions that may occur to you.
As it is not a criminal court, the burden of proof is not so onerous. In court, a jury must be sure ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ of the case before they will find someone guilty. In an Appeal hearing, the panel is only required to make its ruling based on ‘the balance of probabilities’. In other words, you only need to show that broadly speaking, something is likely to be true- and that is sufficient. You do not have to prove conclusively that something is true.
Do not be afraid to ask questions of anyone in the room if you do not understand something, or want something clarified. You only get one chance of this try not to lose an opportunity by being afraid to speak up. If at any time during the hearing you need time to think, if you are taken by surprise by any information given, or if you need to compose yourself, you can ask for a short break. Taking a confrontational approach with the panel is not wise- after all, they are only human and if you push them too hard you may well lose their sympathy.
OIA myths
The OIA is rubber stamped by Goldsmith College insiders.
Far from it. The vast majority of the organisation is truly independent of the College. Infact, universities often complain about the ‘odd’ decisions made by the OIA, saying that they are too lenient, or not rigorous enough. At the same time, students also complain about how tough and unsympathetic they are. If both sides complain, then they must be doing something right.
The OIA is only there to decide if the rules were correctly followed.
No. The panel will make a ruling on that, but it has complete freedom to consider much more than that. It will listen to anything you say as long as it is relevant and has a bearing on the case.
With the introduction of higher fees in 2006, what safeguards do students have when it comes to dealing with complaints about exam marks, accommodation, assessment offences or welfare issues?
The answer: the Office of Independent Adjudicator (OIA). This watchdog was established to operate as an independent student complaints scheme subsequent to the Higher Education Act 2004. All higher education institutions in England and Wales are required to adhere to the rules set out by the OIA.
How does it work?
Every institution will have its own internal complaints procedure. This allows a student to make a formal complaint against the university on issues around academic provision, university managed accommodation and university facilities. Previously any student not satisfied with the final outcome of his or her case and had exhausted all avenues of the university’s complaints procedure, could take the case to the final Independent Review stage. However the Independent Review process has now been replaced with the scheme operated through the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.
So who can make a complaint?
Any student (current or former) who is registered to a course at the university they are complaining about can make a complaint.
What sort of complaint can the OIA deal with?
The areas of complaint covered by the OIA are about:
• A programme of study or research.
• A service provided to a student by a higher education university.
• A final decision by a higher education university’s disciplinary or appeal body.
What sort of complaint can’t the OIA deal with?
The following areas of complaint cannot be taken up by the OIA:
• If the matter relates to academic judgement, i.e. if it is about your academic performance.
• If the matter is or has been subject to court proceedings.
• If it is about a student employment matter.
• If it is about an institution which is not higher education.
• If it an issue around admissions.
How can I make a complaint?
Before you can take your complaint to the OIA, you must first go through Goldsmiths internal complaints procedure. If, at the end of the internal procedure, you are unhappy with the outcome, you must request a ‘Completion of Procedures Letter’ immediately from the university. Please remember you must take your complaint to the OIA within 3 months of completing the university’s internal complaints procedure.
You must also complete the OIA Scheme Application Form, your Students’ Union can help you fill this out and or provide you with the form. You can also find the form on the OIA website.
Want more Info?
To find out how the OIA will deal with your complaint please visit www.oiahe.org.uk or call the helpline on 0118 959 9813.
Alternatively if you require advice on the procedures please contact the Students’ Union.
It is important to get feedback about your individual ‘student experience’. You are crucial to this process. You will know when things have gone wrong or are not as they should be. It is important to point out the shortcomings for things to be put right.
You can view the Goldsmiths Student Charter. The student charter is a guide that tells you what you can expect from the University and what the University expects from you.
As a student at University, you have a right to expect the following:
• That the course programme matches what you originally read in the prospectus or what you were told at your interview.
• That there are no additional charges or costs for your education that you were not told about before you enrolled.
• That teaching on the course is of high standard.
• That you are accommodated in the house or property that it was agreed that you would move into.
• That the equipment and facilities required to do the course are available and you have access to them.
• That you are able to voice your opinion on the quality and sufficiency of services within the Uni.
• That you will not be discriminated against because of your ethnicity, gender, age, disability, race, ability or sexuality.
• If you are accused of something, you are entitled to a hearing, in line with the disciplinary procedures.
• That the assessment procedures for your course are followed correctly and comply with the assessment procedures that you were issued with.
• That the rules of the University are applied fairly, properly and consistently.
• That you may pay your tuition fees through a payment plan.
If you think that one or more of these expectations are not being met, you can do the following…
• Write a letter to the designated Complaints Manager. (The Advice Centre can advise who this is and provide their contact details)
• Tell your Student Rep who can raise it in the appropriate committee or with a specific person.
• Contact an SU Sabbatical Officer or the Advice Service Co-ordinator
If you have taken a standard module at levels 0-3 for the first time and have failed it, you will usually be referred in the component(s) that you failed. This will be the component(s) you achieved 35% or less in, even if your overall mark was over 40%. So for example, 60% in the coursework, 33% in the exam – you need to re-sit just the exam.
The marks for any component(s) passed will be carried forward and your overall module mark will be this mark added to the mark you receive for the component(s) you re-take. You should be aware that any module at levels 2 or 3 which have been retaken will be capped at 40% unless Extenuating Circumstances have been submitted and accepted.
If you fail the referral, you may be able to re-register for the module but will have to retake the whole module as a second attempt – this will mean retaking the components that you passed during the first attempt as well as those that you failed.
We recommend any student who finds themselves in this situation contact their Faculty Secretary for clarification to ensure that all the correct policies and procedures are followed.
You should note that the above does not apply to professional practice modules or Master’s dissertations.
The words assessment offences cover issues such as cheating, collusion and plagiarism which are breaches of University academic regulations. The University take such breaches seriously and are likely to impose a penalty if they do feel an assessment offence has been committed. Once you receive the letter, you must act quickly as you only have a short time scale in which to respond. Your letter should be accompanied by a second page, offering you the opportunity to go and view your work. We recommend all students go to see their work first before accepting or denying the offence and then come to see us in the Students’ Union. We can advise you on whether to accept or deny and the best way to do this as well as potential penalties which are likely to be imposed. These can differ depending upon whether it is your first offence and what year of study you are. Therefore, you should come to see us as soon as you have seen your work.
Yes certainly, any student who declares themselves with extra needs will receive a greater amount of support; for example, students who have writing difficulties can sit down and draft an Appeal letter or response together with the Advice Service Co-ordinator.
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