Student Complaint Procedures

The Student Complaints Management Process Flowchart provides a quick illustration of the steps to be followed under the Student Complaints Policy and Procedures for the resolution of student complaints. The Student Complaints Policy describes Student Complaints Procedures in detail.

Stage One - informal process

In the first instance, a student should seek to resolve his/her complaint by talking directly with the staff member who provided the product or service.

The student can expect that his/her complaint will be treated promptly and seriously

All staff members approached by a student with a complaint should attempt to resolve the complaint informally within 5 working days.

If it is inappropriate or not possible to contact the person most directly involved, the student may contact the relevant Senior Officer in the area concerned, for example, Head of School, Dean or Executive Dean in the faculties; or Manager or Director in the Service Centres.

The Senior Officer will assist all parties to reach agreement on the most appropriate way to resolve the complaint.

Stage Two - formal process

If a student cannot resolve the complaint informally, the student may lodge a formal complaint with the University Complaints Officer. It is important to note that a complaint cannot proceed to Stage Two - the formal process, until all efforts to resolve the complaint through informal processes have been exhausted.

The University Complaints Officer may use mediation and conciliation to resolve the complaint.

At all meetings convened by the University Complaints Officer, all parties to the complaint have the right to be supported by a peer, other than a legally qualified practitioner.

Once the complaint is resolved, the University Complaints Officer will make a report to the Vice-Chancellor recommending any action the University should take to reduce the likelihood of similar complaints occurring in the future.

Formal complaints must be made in writing on a Student Complaints Form which may be downloaded here, or obtained from Student Central on each campus.

The Student Complaints Form requires the following information:

1. student's name, student number and contact details
2. a detailed description of the complaint
3. a description of any action the student may have already taken to try to resolve the matter
4. an indication of the student's desired outcome.
   

Completed Forms are to be sent to the following address:

University Complaints Officer
c/- Governance Services
Building 1
270 Joondalup Drive
Joondalup
Western Australia 6027

A Reply Paid envelope is available at Student Central on each campus.

If a student believes that correct procedures have not been followed, he or she can appeal to the Vice-Chancellor or his or her nominee. The outcome of the appeal will be final in the University.

It is expected that students with complaints about the products or services provided by the University will make use of the internal procedures described above before approaching external bodies.

External avenues of redress for complainants include:

• State Ombudsman
• Anti-Corruption Commission
• Ministry of Fair Trading (it is Ministry policy to refer such matters to the Ombudsman)
• Office of the Auditor General for Western Australia
• Director of the Equal Opportunity in Public Employment
• Equal Opportunity Commission
• University Visitor