Just because your university has turned down your appeal or complaint against them, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the story and you have to accept your fate. There are still avenues that you can explore to get the decision reviewed and this is where the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) comes in.
The OIA is an independent body set up to review student complaints. It is free to students, and deals with individual student complaints against higher education institutions in England and Wales.
If you have gone through your university’s internal procedures and are dissatisfied with the final decision then you can make a complaint to the OIA, as long as it is eligible under the rules of its complaints scheme.
What does the OIA do?
It is the OIA’s job to review your case and see whether your university has applied their complaints process appropriately and stuck to the regulations and procedures that are stipulated within it. The OIA will also consider whether the decision made by the university is a fair one and takes into consideration any mitigating circumstances.
There are a significant number of student complaints every year relating to exam results, degree classifications, withdrawals from university and academic misconduct. In each of these scenarios, the university will have its own specific procedures for dealing with the complaint and the student must follow these procedures to the letter in order to get their case heard.
In many of these cases the students are disappointed with the final decision and because of the severity of the outcome on their future career hopes, the students next course of action is taking it to the OIA to see if the decision can be reviewed. This can be a daunting task and without the right support and legal advice, it can often lead to further disappointment and being no further forward.
Match will represent your best interests
The OIA will consider if your university has acted reasonably and have followed their internal procedures correctly. Therefore, preparation is key when it comes to taking matters to the OIA. Any supporting evidence that you have which strengthens your case must be brought to the fore and argued appropriately to give yourself the best chance of achieving a positive result.
This is where Match Solicitors can help you. We will listen to the merits of your case and if we believe that there are good arguments for the decision to be reviewed, we will support you in preparing your case and represent your best interests.
If you have recently had a complaint against your university turned down and need advice on what you can do next, then please get in touch to discuss your case in confidence.
