If you are visiting this page regarding strike action complaints, please visit this page for the information about submitting a strike related complaint.
Hopefully your time here at De Montfort University (DMU) will be one of the happiest times of your life. However from time to time, some students feel unhappy about particular aspects of their course or feel that they have been unfairly treated in some way by a university department. If this is the case, you have the right to use the university’s complaints procedure to highlight your concerns.
The complaints process is for use by current or formerly registered DMU students. It cannot be used by prospective applicants for challenging admissions decisions – if you wish to complain about any aspect of the admissions process please see DMU's Admissions Policy for more information.
If you are seeking to complain on behalf of somebody else you will need their written permission to do so.
Below, you will find the University's policies and guidance which govern the standard DMU work towards. If you feel the University have not met the standards or policies here, you should include this within your complaint as this will add weight to your argument.
Teaching Excellence Framework
Assessment and Feedback Policy
Taught Programmes - Academic Regulations
Code of Practice for Research Degree Students
Appeals are restricted to matters related to the assessment procedure and are submitted after the assessment is finalised. It is strongly recommended that you do not wait until that point to raise issues that arise, and that you utilise the complaints process at the earliest opportunity to try to resolve the problem, ideally before assessments are affected. If you wait and later seek to appeal on this basis, your appeal will be rejected.
See the appeals page for more information.
You can find out everything you need to know about submitting a complaint by visiting DMU's Student Complaints page.
No you cannot submit a complaint anonymously. In order for the complaint to be investigated and responded to, names will be required.
If you would like to raise an issue about your course without being identified you could try asking your Course Rep to raise it on your behalf.
You can find out everything you need to know about submitting a complaint by visiting DMU's Student Complaints page.
We suggest you include the following:
• Your name
• P number
• Your preferred contact details
• Outline of your complaint (giving specific details such as dates and full names)
• A description of each piece of evidence you are providing to support your case (e.g. email dated xx/xx/xx from (name) to (name)
• What (if anything) you have already tried to resolve the matter
• What you would like to be done to resolve your complaint
• A separate timeline of events may be a helpful summary if your complaint is lengthy
Don’t forget to keep a copy of the complaint and everything submitted with it (for reference).
Although it is possible to submit a complaint about DMU via a consumer complaints website, this is not recommended. The website is unlikely to correctly identify the appropriate person to submit your complaint to, and if it reaches an incorrect recipient this could breach your confidentiality, and is likely to result in delays in your complaint being responded to. Instead we recommend that you seek advice from DSU Advice and follow the DMU complaints procedure which is easily accessible and straightforward to follow.
You can find out everything you need to know about submitting a complaint by visiting DMU's Student Complaints page.
No. You have a right to complain and the procedure is there to be used, so please don’t be afraid to use it. Your grades cannot be affected by this and moderation acts as a further safeguard to ensure that marking is only done on the basis of the marking criteria set out for the programme.
Remember it is important to conduct yourself calmly and refrain from making threats or using offensive language. When complaints arise, this can elicit strong emotions, but you are at all times subject to the University’s code of conduct and disciplinary action may be taken if your behaviour is in breach of this.
Once you have received an outcome at the formal complaint stage, you may request a review of your complaint if you have grounds to do so, as below:
- The complaint procedure was not followed correctly
- New information that was not available earlier in the process, can now be provided by the student, with good reason as to why it could not be produced earlier
You must complete the review request form and your complaint will be reviewed by the Chair of the University Complaints Committee who may recommend that the case be heard at a full panel hearing, or decline the request for review if the grounds for appeal (as above) are not justified.
The decision of the Chair is final and not subject to review by any other university body. For more information, please read DMU's Student Complaints page.
The OIA will review all of the paperwork submitted, and may even ask for additional evidence from both parties to ensure they have the fullest information possible. Additional evidence or comments obtained will be shared with the other party and if so an opportunity for response will be given. They will inspect the action previously taken by the University to see if it is in line with DMU’s own Regulations and policies.
They will make a determination of ‘justified’, ‘not justified’ or ‘partly justified’ giving reasons for their decisions or in some cases they may be able to help ‘settle’ the complaint through mediation. The objective is to find a remedy which as far as possible returns the student to the position that they would have been in had the improper circumstances not occurred. Possible outcomes might include referral back to University procedures for redress, an apology or even financial compensation. The OIA may also suggest or recommend that an institution amends procedures to promote best practice across the sector.
The OIA cannot intervene in admissions decisions or matters of academic judgement. They can’t recommend an Institution contravenes their regulations or breaks the law. They will not accept any complaint where the Institution has not yet been given the opportunity to resolve it themselves.
The OIA won’t accept out-of-time complaints. They will not award punitive fines. They cannot comment on matters relating to Human Resources such as staff discipline and would not make a recommendation for a member of staff to apologise, although the Institution might be advised to apologise on their behalf. They would not normally consider awarding legal costs as arbitration process is intended as an informal alternative to court and therefore legal representation is not usually required. If the matter has already been subject to legal proceedings the OIA will not consider it (unless stayed), likewise if another arbitration scheme has already ruled on the matter. They will also reject complaints deemed to be frivolous or vexatious.
The OIA website contains lots of helpful guides with much more information e.g. ‘Using the Scheme' ‘OIA’s Approach to Remedies and Redress’ and ‘Recent Decisions'.
More helpful links
If you have any queries or concerns about the process, or need help to prepare your paperwork or would like representation in mediation or a hearing, ask DSU Advice for help.