Contact the Complaints team
If you’re unhappy with anything the University has done / has not done, you can make a complaint as a student. Find out below who to get advice from, what you can complain about, how to complain, and what happens during the complaints process.
You can contact the Complaints team for advice and support with your complaint by email (complaintsadvice@port.ac.uk) or by phone (023 92 84 3110/3103).
What can I complain about?
You can raise concerns about any aspect of your student experience except for matters of academic judgement.
If your complaint relates to your accommodation in University Halls of Residence, you should first report any problems to Hall reception staff. You should follow the Halls complaints procedure as set out in the Halls of Residence Handbook before using the Student Complaints procedure.
What can’t I complain about?
The University has separate procedures for dealing with complaints about other students and for academic appeals and tuition fee appeals. However, if your complaint contains elements of an academic appeal, you can submit the entire complaint to the Complaints team. They will work with staff in Academic Registry to determine the most suitable approach, whether that involves running the procedures concurrently or consecutively.
You cannot complain to the University about the services or facilities provided by the University of Portsmouth Students Union (UPSU), as it is a separate organisation. You should make complaints about UPSU in writing to the Students Union. You can find more information about the UPSU complaints procedure on their website.
Who can complain?
This procedure applies to all University of Portsmouth students, including full-time and part-time, home and international students, campus-based (in Portsmouth or London) or distance learning, and degree apprentices. We'll consider you a student for three months after you finish your studies or graduate from the university.
This procedure can be used for complaints from groups of students who have the same grievance. If multiple students raise the same complaint, the Complaints Team might choose to consolidate these complaints. In the case of a group complaint, one student should serve as the primary contact. If the investigation reveals that other students were also impacted, the recommended resolution will apply to all affected students.
If you're studying with one of our collaborative partners, you can use the University’s complaints procedure after going through the partner’s own process. We'll review your complaint based on the reasons you provide for your unhappiness with the partner’s response to your original complaint, the original complaint itself, and the investigation report. We will decide if our partner has followed their own procedures and whether the outcome of the complaint is reasonable in all the circumstances. The review will be conducted by the Executive Director of Corporate Governance (see section 4).
If you're studying at the International College Portsmouth (ICP), raise your complaint in the first place with ICP staff. Complaints staff in ICP and the University will decide which complaints procedure is appropriate to the circumstances and will tell you which organisation will be dealing with your complaint.
If, as a degree apprentice, your complaint is not related to the University’s teaching or facilities, you should seek advice from the Degree Apprenticeships team.
For concerns about a placement provider, discuss the issue with your placement team first. If you are dissatisfied with their actions, you can potentially file a complaint with us. Contact the Complaints Team for more information.
How long do I have to make my complaint?
The sooner you submit your complaint, the more chance the University has of resolving it, therefore, please submit your complaint within 20 working days of the event you are complaining about or the completion of your informal attempts to address your concerns. We typically do not accept complaints received after this timeframe, unless there are exceptional circumstances causing the delay, which should be explained/evidenced in your complaint.
How do I complain?
The first step in making a complaint is to attempt an informal resolution by speaking or writing to a University staff member in the area where the issue has arisen, or a member of the Complaints team. For example, if your complaint is about how your course is managed, discuss it with your tutor or course leader. Similarly, if your concern involves a service like the Library or the Ravelin Sports Centre, address it with a staff member from the respective department.
Alternatively, you can contact the Complaints Team for all types of complaints, including those where you may not wish to raise the matter locally. To contact the Complaints Team, you can either complete the online complaint form or send an email to complaintsadvice@port.ac.uk.
What type of evidence should I submit with my complaint?
You should submit a thorough explanation of your complaint along with copies of any emails or documents which you think are evidence of the concerns that you have raised. It is always helpful to refer to information in any policies, guidelines or handbooks on which you are relying as a basis for your complaint. If there is evidence that you believe will exist, but which you cannot access, you should give details of this alongside your complaint.
What happens next?
Stages of the Complaints procedure
1. A student can approach the department, service or Complaints team to raise concerns in person or by email.
2. The Head of the relevant department or staff in the Complaints team reviews your concerns and determines whether or not the complaint is valid
3. You will receive a response (usually within 10 working days)
4a. If your complaint is valid we will respond, outlining what went wrong and potentially offering a resolution as well as guidance on what further action is available to you – this may resolve your complaint
4b. If your complaint is not valid we will respond, outlining why your complaint is not valid as well as guidance on what further action is available to you.
5. You will have 20 working days from being informed of the outcome to submit a Stage 2 complaint
1. A student may submit a formal complaint using the online complaints form or by emailing complaintsadvice@port.ac.uk.
2. The complaints team will confirm the next steps and timeframes for the investigation along with the details of the Investigating Officer (usually within 10 working days)
3. The Investigating Officer will arrange to meet with you and any other parties to the complaint
4. The Investigating Officer will issue a draft report of their findings (usually within 30 working days) and you will have the opportunity to comment on any factual inaccuracies
5. The Investigating Officer will issue the final report detailing their findings
6a. If your complaint is valid we will make recommendations to resolve it
6b. If your complaint is not valid we will provide guidance on further actions available to you
7. You will have 10 working days from being informed of the outcome to request a review
1. A student may submit a review request by emailing Claire.dunning@port.ac.uk
2. The Executive Director of Corporate Governance will determine whether or not they will carry out a review and write to you (usually within 10 working days).
3a. Review request accepted: we will agree the review arrangements with you (usually within 5 working days). The review will take place and will usually be completed within 30 working days.
3b. Review request not accepted: we will write to you, outlining why we have rejected your review request and issue you a Completion of Procedures letter.
4. If the student is dissatisfied with the outcome they have 12 months to raise a complaint with the OIA
Can I withdraw my complaint?
You may withdraw your complaint at any time during the internal procedure by giving notice to the complaints team.
Getting Advice
When deciding whether to make a complaint, you can seek advice about subjects, including if you have grounds for a complaint, who to approach first, and how to pursue the matter, from the following sources:
The UPSU advice team (staff and peer advisors) offer advice and support throughout the complaints procedure.
A representative from the Students’ Union can go with you to any interviews or meetings.
Please contact the Students’ Union at advice@upsu.net or +44 (0)239284 3478. This service is available to all University of Portsmouth students.
For help with issues in your accommodation, whether in halls or privately rented, email the Residence Life Team at reslife@port.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 23 9284 3789.
For help and support with any issues relating to special requirements contact us at asdac@port.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 2392 843462.
For help pursuing a complaint involving a collaborative partner, email us at partnerships@port.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 2392 843196. If you are a student with one of our collaborative partners and have concerns about your course you should use the partner's internal complaint procedure before registering a complaint.
Your Head of Department / School can advise on procedural matters and help you determine if your expectations are reasonable.
You can approach the Complaints team directly for advice on making a complaint using the following contact information:
+44 (0)2392 843110 / 3103
complaintsadvice@port.ac.uk
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about making a complaint
If you require information about the Complaints procedures of the University in a format other than that provided on the website, please contact the Complaints team using the contact details below for advice on how to pursue your complaint.
Nicola Young
Title: Complaints and Information Disclosure Officer
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 3103
Email: nicola.young@port.ac.uk
Email: complaintsadvice@port.ac.uk
Nathalie Derrick
Title: Assistant Complaints and Information Disclosure Officer
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 3110
Email: nathalie.derrick@port.ac.uk
Email: complaintsadvice@port.ac.uk
This article provides information regarding the differences between appeals and complaints.
Appeals may be made against the decision of a Unit Assessment Board, Board of Examiners or of Extenuating Circumstances Officers. There are a limited number of grounds on which appeals can be made. These are outlined in the appeals section of the University Examination and Assessment Regulations.
Complaints on the other hand may be made about any aspect of a student's course, or the services or facilities provided by the University. The grounds for making a complaint are not as limited as those for appeals, however, you should clearly state your grounds for complaint when writing to the Complaints Team.
The person carrying out an investigation into a complaint needs to be able to communicate and discuss the complaint with everyone involved. It is for this reason that we will not generally investigate anonymous complaints. You should be aware that it is not usually possible to withhold your name as the complaint itself will, in most cases, identify the people concerned. The Complaints Team will handle your correspondence sensitively and will only reveal the information necessary to each member of staff as appropriate.
If we receive an anonymous complaint, staff in the Complaints Team will decide whether to investigate it. In making our decision, we will look at how serious the issues raised are, how credible the allegation is, the evidence received, and how likely it is that the allegation can be confirmed.
We will make sure you are not discriminated against or suffer any disadvantage as a result of raising genuine concerns.
Report and Support
If you do not wish to make a complaint you can make an anonymous report to the University using Report and Support. This helps the University to identify common issues and offer support. You can also choose to provide your contact details to receive contact from an advisor who can help you to identify and access relevant support.
To fully investigate your complaint, we may need to share it, and any associated documents, with the members of staff who are asked to comment on your complaint. The Complaints Team will handle your correspondence sensitively and will only reveal the information necessary to each member of staff as appropriate.
The University expects all parties to a complaint to respect and adhere to the confidentiality of the Complaints procedure. You may discuss the procedure but you are not permitted to share any of the information you receive as part of the investigation.
No, you don’t have to come to the University. Any discussions or interviews can take place over the telephone, or via virtual meeting, at a prearranged time.
We will ensure that complainants are not discriminated against or suffer any disadvantage as a result of raising genuine concerns for confidential advice on making a complaint
If you experience issues with the supervision that you are receiving, you should raise your concerns as soon as they occur. You should not wait until you have received a mark for the piece of work which is being supervised, as it will then be too late to resolve the issue(s). If possible, in the first instance you should speak to your supervisor to discuss your concerns.
If this is not possible or you do not feel that they are able to help, you should speak to your Personal Tutor, Course Leader, Head of Department or the Complaints team.
Yes, you may be accompanied to any meetings held during the process of dealing with your concerns by a friend or a student representative. The student complaint procedure is not a legal process so it is not necessary to be legally represented at any meetings.
If you require a student representative to accompany you to a meeting it is recommended that you approach the Students Union