Find out what to do if you need to make a complaint at the university.
- How do I make a complaint?
- How does making a complaint work?
- Complaints procedure in stage 1
- Complaints procedure formal stage 2
- Complaints procedure stage 3 - Review by the Vice Chancellor
- External review
- Step by step guide to write a university complaint
How do I make a complaint?
The University of Hertfordshire aims to ensure that it's students have a good educational and social experience, but as with any large complex organisation, it is always possible that unsatisfactory circumstances may occur.
We hope that you are enjoying your studies and that we never give you reason to complain. However, if there is something you are not happy with please tell us so that we can try to put matters right.
Click here for more information: Student and Applicant Complaints UPR SA16 and Bullying and Harassment UPR EQ10
How does making a complaint work?
The university has a 3-stage internal complaints procedure:-
- Stage 1
- Stage 2
- Stage 3
Complainants must complete each stage before progressing on to the next.
⚠️Deadline - a complaint must be made either orally or in writing, and lodged within thirty (30) calendar days of the date on which the incident occurred.
Complaints procedure - Stage 1
A Stage 1 complaint (‘expression of concern with an intended outcome’) must be made, either orally or in writing within thirty (30) calendar days of the date on which the incident occurred. If a complaint is submitted beyond this timescale, the complainant must provide evidence to support mitigating circumstances as to why the deadline could not be met. Please note, that there is no guarantee that a late complaint submission will be considered.
All informal complaints should be submitted first via the Contact Ask Herts online form (via https://ask.herts.ac.uk/contact-us). Please select the 'Complaints & Feedback' drop down option.
For Non-Engagement Complaints:
All complaints associated with procedures related to withdrawal due to non-engagement should be submitted directly to the academic School as advised in the communications sent to the student as part of the process. These should be received within five (5) working days of the notification of withdrawal due to both visa reporting requirements and the need for the immediate reinstatement of the student so they can re-engage with their studies. UPR SA14 Student Withdrawal regulations and UPR SA06 Student Attendance Regulations provide further information and guidance.
Complaints procedure - Stage 2
In the event the Complainant remains dissatisfied after the completion of Stage 1 the Complainant may make a Stage 2 complaint. The Stage 2 complaint must be submitted in accordance with the relevant procedures set out in document (UPR SA16).
The University expects that at the time of making a Stage 2 complaint, an applicant/student will bring forward all relevant evidence that is available at the time at which the Stage 2 complaint is lodged.
A Student or Applicant Stage 2 complaint must be made in writing. Please complete the Notification of a Formal Complaint Form. Refer to How to Write a Complaint: A Student's Guide for help putting together your complaint.
Complainants should specify their intended outcome. Completed Formal Complaint forms should be submitted to studentprocedures@herts.ac.uk within thirty (30)
calendar days of the date of the Stage 1 outcome. The Student Procedures team will then ensure the Formal Complaint is logged and referred to the appropriate department.
If a complaint is submitted beyond this timescale, evidence to support mitigating circumstances must be provided by the complainant. Usually, the event or circumstance will be unexpected and beyond the student’s control, i.e. this might be
an illness or accident, a bereavement, or something else that has affected their ability to submit a complaint on time. Please note there is no guarantee that a late complaint submission will be considered.
The Completed Formal Complaint forms should be submitted to studentprocedures@herts.ac.uk within thirty (30)
calendar days of the date of the Stage 1 outcome. The Student Procedures team will then ensure the Formal Complaint is logged and referred to the appropriate department.
Complaints Procedure - Stage 3 - Review by the Vice-Chancellor
⚠️Deadline - within 10 working days of the date of the Letter of Decision sent to you
Where a Complainant remains dissatisfied with the outcome following the Stage 2 conclusion, in exceptional circumstances, the Complainant may request a review by the Vice-Chancellor under the following limited grounds:
i. the Complainant wishes information not already brought forward at earlier stages which may be relevant to the case, to be considered.
ii. the Complainant believes that there has been procedural irregularities or bias.
Please complete Formal Complaint – Review by the Vice-Chancellor form in full and return it to studentprocedures@herts.ac.uk
Please refer to the UPR for further guidance on this procedure.
The OIA - Office of the Independent Adjudicator
The University subscribes to the OIA - the Independent Student Complaints scheme for England and Wales. If you wish to seek a review by the OIA you will need to provide them with a copy of the Completion of Procedures Letter to confirm the conclusion of the University's internal procedures. Please email studentprocedures@herts.ac.uk if you require this letter.
For practical and impartial advice and support please contact:
External Review:
If a student remains dissatisfied, they may take the case to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, which provides an independent scheme for the review of student complaints. The OIA will consider cases only when the University’s own internal complaints procedure has been exhausted. It will not intervene in matters which turn purely on academic judgment. Further information about the scheme is available at www.oiahe.org.uk
Having exhausted the University’s internal procedures and subject to the provisions of legislation, students who are apprentices, participating in training on apprenticeships at the University, also have the right to complain further to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Such students must contact the ESFA within 12 months of
the issue arising. The ESFA will not deal with complaints about employment issues.
Further information is available on the GOV website:
Step by step guide to write a university complaint
If you need support please follow our step by step writing a university complaint guide.