We hope that you have a great time at UEA. However, sometimes things do go wrong and any student has the right to submit a complaint about the University. Different procedures apply to academic and non-academic matters. 

You can complain about any University non-academic service, for example: catering, car-parking, accommodation, Library Services or Student Services. You can also complain about the University's response to the behaviour of other UEA students. 

Academic complaints are a separate process and can be used to complain about the delivery, management or assessment of your academic experience. 

The full University policy about Non-Academic Complaints in on the UEA website.

If you are looking for information about how to report an incident of unacceptable behaviour by another student, member of staff or visitor to UEA, please visit Report&Support.

Who can complain?

• Current UEA students
• Former students when the non-academic complaint is about something during their time as a student. The complaint must be submitted within 90 calendar days of the course end date, or the date of withdrawal from study.

Students on validated or accredited programmes at partner institutions should use the relevant complaint procedures at their place of study. 

Informal resolution stage

You are expected to try to resolve your complaint informally before starting the formal procedure, known as the Informal Stage. This can be done by approaching the relevant service, for example the Accommodation Office, Security or a manager to raise your concerns. If you're not sure where to raise a concern, or don't feel able to seek an informal resolution directly,  you can contact the Student Conduct and Complaints team (studentcomplaints@uea.ac.uk) to explore whether an informal resolution is possible through them. 

Trying to resolve your complaint informally will not prejudice your case if you choose to use the formal procedure later on. If you believe you have been treated less favourably after submitting a complaint, you should contact the Director of Student and Academic Services and include evidence of problems that you have experience. 

Stage One 

If you have not been able to resolve your complaint informally, you can start the formal procedure. 

You should start this process within 20 days of hearing the outcome of your attempt to resolve the complaint informally, however you are told about this (e.g. phone, email or at a meeting). 

If you can't submit your form on time, your complaint may still be considered if you have a good reason and can provide evidence. You should contact the Student Conduct and Complaints team (studentcomplaints@uea.ac.uk) as soon as possible if you're unable to meet that deadline. The Head of Student Conduct and Complaints will decide whether a late Stage One complaint will be accepted - this decision cannot be appealed, so you should include as much relevant information as possible when explaining why your complaint cannot be submitted within the deadline. 

To start the formal complaint process, complete the Non Academic Complaints Form.

The form asks you to give details of your complaint and how you would like it resolved. If you have supporting evidence, include it with the form. The form and the evidence cannot be anonymous. 

If you have not completed the Informal Stage to try and resolve your concerns, the Student Conduct and Complaints team will first try to seek an informal resolution by engaging with the relevant University department. Your formal complaint will be put on pause during this attempt to resolve informally, and reopened if informal steps do not resolve the matter to your satisfaction.

If your complaint meets the grounds for consideration, and the Informal Stage has been completed without resolution, your complaint should be considered by a Non-Academic Complaints Panel (NACP) within 20 days of submission. You will be informed of the next meeting of the NACP and the date when you should normally expect to hear the Panel's decision - this is usually 10 working days, but complex cases may require longer. 

Grounds for complaint

Complaints may be upheld if they meet at least one of the following grounds:

• Correct procedures were not followed
• You experienced unfair or inequitable treatment
• You experienced undue delay in the delivery of a service, or the provision of a response to an earlier enquiry
• The University failed to deliver an appropriate level of service
• You received inadequate or inaccurate advice or guidance
• Your experience was at odds with the level of service that you might reasonably expect

Constructing your complaint

When writing your complaint and submitting it using the Non-Academic Complaints form, you will be asked to explain what your concerns relate to, the details of your complaint and what you would like done about it. You will also have the option to provide a longer complaint statement, which gives you the opportunity to give clear information, evidence and timelines. You should include any supporting evidence that shows the circumstances of your experience, and how it has impacted you. 

Your complaint should be specific, factual and professional. You should avoid emotional language or long explanations - focus on specific events or issues, and explain what has happened using a clear timeline. Explain any personal impact the situation has had on you without using exaggeration. 

Writing a statement:

• Start with a clear title, briefly explaining what you're complaining about
• Provide a description of what happened, including relevant dates, locations and people involved
• Explain how the issue has impacted you personally or academically
• Outline what action you would like the University to take

Example:

I am writing to formally express my concerns and complain about [issue] in [University department or Service].

On [date], I experienced [describe what happened]. This resulted in [impact].

This situation has affected my [academic progress, wellbeing, ability to complete assignments or other relevant impact]. 

I am submitting this complaint on the grounds of [insert grounds for complaint].

I have already taken the following steps to try to resolve the issue informally [describe what you have already done].

I would appreciate it if [desired outcome] could be considered to help resolve this matter fairly and appropriately.

Possible outcomes

We can't provide a clear, exhaustible list of potential outcomes and remedies for a non-academic complaint as they will be considered on a case-by-case and by the specifics of the individual complaint. Outcomes could include things like an apology or changes to a process or service provided by the University. 

It is not possible to change an academic outcome, like a grade boundary or confirmed mark, through a non-academic complaint. 

Be careful going into making a formal complaint with the expectation that financial compensation is a likely outcome. The only way this would be possible would be to show that you have not received the service UEA advertised, that this was due to something within their control, and for UEA to accept this is the case. If relevant and appropriate for an upheld non-academic complaint, NACPs may be able to agree compensation payments up to the limit of £1000. 

Stage Two complaints

A Stage Two non-academic complaint may be utilised if there has been procedural irregularity at Stage One. This includes cases where not all over the evidence has been weighed in the consideration of a complaint, or factual data has been misinterpreted. A Stage Two complaint cannot be used if procedures have been followed correctly by the University but you are simply unhappy with the outcome of the complaint. In some cases, you may be able to make a complaint to the Office for Independent Adjudicators (OIA) if you do not meet the grounds for a Stage Two complaint. 

You must submit a completed Stage Two Non-Academic Complaint Form, and upload any supporting documentation, no later than 10 working days after the date on which you were formally advised of the Stage One outcome.  

If you are considering a Stage Two complaint, we would suggest contacting us by using our enquiry form. Please provide copies of your initial complaint statement, and the Stage One Outcome letter received from the University, and we will be honest about whether we think the situation has grounds for a Stage Two complaint.