Complaints Policy and Procedure

Eurasia Educational Dynamic’s (EED’s) Student Complaints Procedure

Definitions: A complaint can be defined as ‘any expression of dissatisfaction that relates to EED and that requires a formal response’. As per the Revised UK Quality Code for Higher Education (UK Quality Code), a complaint is defined as: ‘a specific query about an aspect of experience of the provider.’ A ‘student’, may also refer to an applicant who may not yet be enrolled with EED. “A complaint’ may refer to any complaint made by a student but excluding ‘Academic Appeals’. These may be academic or non-academic in nature. Academic related complaints may include alleged inadequacies in the provision of a programme of study; tuition; supervision; learning support materials, etc. Non-academic complaints normally relate to alleged inadequacies in other services provided to students. This policy will differentiate between academic and non-academic complaints. The latter will be the responsibility of EED solely and not the University partner. For further clarification please see below:

Complaint Submission: Students who wish to submit a complaint to EED must first speak to EED’s programme director. The programme director will then decide the appropriate course of action to take to attempt to settle the complaint to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. Please be advised that students should not raise any complaint with the BAC directly. EED will only review complaints which relate to academic standards and / or quality of the learning opportunity under the Formal Complaint Review stage of the procedures as listed below:

Purpose: The formal complaints procedure is intended to ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, consistently and, wherever possible, resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction and the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

EED’s Complaints Policy and the Student Charter

EED is committed to providing a high-quality educational experience, fully supported by a range of academic and administrative services and facilities. EED welcomes the opportunity to correct mistakes, clarify misunderstandings and to respond positively and constructively on any occasion when students feel the need to express dissatisfaction with a particular service or other aspect of EED provision.

Guidelines for Complaint Resolution: EED has a Student Complaints Procedure. The procedure is based on the principles of fairness and transparency. The procedure is set out to ensure:

Timely resolution of complaints, with an emphasis on local resolution at the earliest opportunity.
Processes, decisions and the reasons behind them are clear and there is opportunity for independent review.
Students are supported.

In this spirit, it is anticipated that the majority of student complaints will be resolved as early as possible through informal dialogue between staff and students at a local level and to the satisfaction of all parties.

If appropriate, EED may explore with relevant parties whether it is possible to settle the complaint informally by mutual agreement at any stage of these procedures. If either party does not wish to settle, they then have right to progress the complaint to the next stage. If a settlement is agreed then all consideration of the complaint will cease.

EED will make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the proceedings to accommodate the needs of students.

Students making complaints will not suffer any disadvantage or discrimination as a result of making a complaint in good faith. However, if a complaint is judged to have been made frivolously, vexatiously or with malice, disciplinary action may be taken against the student.

EED expects all parties in a dispute to act professionally, respectfully and within the spirit of its policies and codes of conduct throughout all stages of the Complaints Procedure.

It is expected that students, and those acting on their behalf, should act reasonably and fairly towards our staff and treat EED processes and procedures with respect. Whilst it is recognised that stakeholders may act out of character in times of trouble or distress, behaviour which is deemed to be unacceptable, verbal or written, will not be tolerated and may result in a student’s access to a procedure, service or member of staff being limited or withdrawn.

EED will monitor the operation of the Student Complaints Procedure in such a way as to assist in the maintenance and continuous improvement of service standards.

The student must be able to substantiate their loss to EED, and to provide reasonable supporting documentation at the EED’s request to demonstrate their case.

EED does not pay any expenses incurred by a student as a result of a complaint.

Confidentiality

All information obtained within the process of the complaint will be held in accordance with the relevant Data Protection legislation that is implemented in your country.

Students must note that information about complainants, and individuals against whom complaints are made, will be dealt with sensitively and will be kept confidential, except where the disclosure is necessary to progress the complaint or implement a decision on the complaint, or where it is required by law or in the public interest. All parties (including complainants) are expected to maintain confidentiality of complaints.

In submitting a complaint, the student understands that their complaint will be shared with the staff member responsible for conducting the investigation into the matters raised, and that the content of their complaint may need to be disclosed to relevant staff in order for the complaint to be investigated and/or resolution sought. Also, it must be understood that an individual against whom a complaint is made has the right to be made aware of any allegations and evidence against them. If there are elements of a student’s complaint which are particularly sensitive and they have concerns about their confidentiality, they are welcome to raise this with the programme administrator who will discuss if / how disclosure can be minimised.

Students must avoid disclosing unnecessary personal information (e.g., medical conditions etc.) in their complaint unless they feel that it is relevant to the issues raised. Students must also avoid disclosing personal data of another person/s in their complaint unless they have been given permission by them to do so.

Who can make a Student Complaint?

The Student Complaints Procedure may be used by anyone who is, or was, an applicant to EED, and anyone who is, or was, an enrolled student at the EED. This includes those accepted to study with EED or registered for its awards; those currently on a placement and those who recently have left the institution.

EED expects that students with concerns should be responsible for raising these concerns themselves. A complaint from a third party, for example, from a parent or spouse will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the name and designation of Head of the Institute (HOI) (or nominee), where it is deemed reasonable for the student to not be able to submit the complaint themselves. The student must provide valid reasons for this request and their written consent for the named third party to act on their behalf.

Student complaints which are received anonymously are not normally accepted but may be accepted at the discretion of EED. However, students who wish to raise a concern anonymously should be aware that this could impede the investigation and communication of the outcome. If a member of staff receives an anonymous complaint, they will be expected to seek advice on how the complaint should be dealt with. In addition, EED will not normally take into account witness statements, where the witness requires that they remain anonymous.

Students may be accompanied by, supported or advised at any stage of the procedure by another member of the EED community, (which is a person who is a currently enrolled student of the EED, or a member of staff of EED). If a student is under 18 years of age they must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult.

Group Complaints

Where issues of complaint affect a number of students, those students may submit a complaint as a group. Any complaints affecting a module or course and its delivery as a whole should be raised with the relevant Academic Course Leader as soon as they arise.

In order to manage the progression of the complaint in such circumstances, all members of the group must agree in writing that they nominate one student to act as the spokesperson for those students complaining. A copy of this agreement must be submitted alongside the complaint. In agreeing to act as spokesperson, the student accepts responsibility for representing the views of the entire group and to act as key contact in relation to the complaint, including communication relating to the complaint outcome and decision of the group.

In agreeing to be part of a group complaint, each member of the group will be required to confirm that they understand and agree that it will be dealt with as a group complaint. Each member will also need to confirm (and be able to demonstrate) that they have been affected by the same issues outlined within the complaint, and that they understand and agree that they would be required to collectively agree whether or not they accept the complaint outcome including any proposed practical remedy or financial redress (if appropriate). Once all students have agreed to be members of a group complaint, they cannot at any stage subsequently choose to withdraw from the group complaint and pursue an individual complaint in relation to the same issue.

If it is determined that any member of the group has not been affected by all of the issues raised in the complaint, EED then reserves the right to exclude them from the group complaint. In the event of this, the programme administrator will inform the spokesperson of any members of the group that will be excluded, and advise them that they would be required to submit a separate, individual complaint if they wish to progress it.

EED and a University Partner Organisation or Accrediting Institution

Students who are enrolled on University Partnerships for the awards of any partner foreign university should refer to these EED’s complaints procedures in the first instance. EED is responsible for investigating both academic and non-academic student complaints initially and, where possible, resolving them under their own procedures. Complaints should not be put directly in the first instance to the University partner or accreditation bodies such as the BAC but must first be considered through the EED procedure set out in this document.

If a student is still dissatisfied with the outcome of an academic-related complaint after completing these may ask to have the matter reviewed by the University Partner under Stage 4, the Formal Complaint Review or the student can escalate the complaint to an accrediting body such as the BAC if the course the student is taking is non accredited.

The Formal Complaint Review – Appeals Procedure

An appeal with the University Partner should be lodged ONLY when all other channels for complaints have been exhausted at EED.

There may be times when what is expressed as a complaint contains within it an academic appeal and vice versa. Where this is the case, the Programme Director will determine whether a complaint or academic appeal should be reclassified (at whatever stage they may have reached). This decision will be made in consultation with the student and they will be advised of the alternative procedure which will be used to consider their case. Namely depending on the programme, complaints will be referred to the University Partner or the accrediting body such as the BAC.

EED recognises that students may raise multiple issues which do not fall neatly into the category of either a complaint or academic appeal. Under such circumstances, the student will be informed which issues will be considered under which procedure and they will be directed to the alternative procedure as appropriate to allow all issues to be considered. This may require one procedure to be suspended pending the completion of the other or alternatively, EED may, with the agreement of the student, decide to consider the matters together. Students will be advised of the effects, if any, of following two procedures at once, particularly where one procedure may be suspended until the other is completed.

Where there is significant overlap, EED may decide to consider matters together, if the student agrees to this. For example, if an appeal includes matters that could also be dealt with under other procedures, such as the Student Complaints Procedure, a joint investigation may be carried out. In such cases, the student will be informed where responsibility for the overall investigation lies and who will issue the final decision.

Complaints that cannot be submitted using this procedure

The Student Complaints Procedure cannot be used for any of the following matters, for which separate policies and procedures exist:

Complaints about the Students’ facilities.
Complaints about other students.

Advice and Guidance

If students have any questions about how the complaints process works, they can contact the programme administrator on ashikin@eurasiaglobal.uk by emailing to marking the subject as `Complaints. `

Timelines

EED is committed to dealing with complaints as quickly as possible, and to complete the processing of a formal complaint and any associated review within 90 calendar days. Within that 90-calendar day timeframe, students must meet any EED deadlines for the submission of documentation and attending meetings. There may occasionally be circumstances when the timeframe needs to be extended for different stages of the procedure for good reason, particularly if the complaint is complex, extensive, or was submitted at a time when key staff are away from EED. If this is the case, the student will be notified and regularly informed of progress.

The EED defines a ‘working day’ as Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays and other days when the EED is closed.

The Procedures for Submitting a Complaint

Stage 1 – Immediate Local Resolution

EED believes that a complaint should be addressed quickly. Students are expected to attempt to resolve issues or concerns directly with the appropriate member of staff best able to deal with it as soon as possible. For example, this may be the Module Tutor or Academic Course Leader for academic-related complaints or an appropriate member of staff or manager in the relevant Course Team or School, for non-academic complaints.

Informal resolution enables EED to resolve as quickly as possible concerns which are straightforward and require little or no investigation. Concerns raised at this stage can be handled by a discussion with the complainant or by asking an appropriate member of staff, or trained mediator, to help them deal with the matter. If the responsibility for the matter raised lies within the staff member’s area of work, every attempt should be made to resolve the concern in consultation with the student where appropriate. If responsibility lies elsewhere, the staff member should liaise with the relevant area to facilitate swift resolution.

Staff should make every effort to resolve complaints informally but, in the interests of the student, may suggest use of the formal (Stage 2) complaints procedures if they regard the matter to be highly complex, believe that a solution cannot be reached within the required timeframe for informal resolution (10 working days), or that only part of the complaint can be resolved at this stage.

Where it is evident to the student or staff that a concern will need to be considered at the formal stage of the procedures, the student should be directed promptly to Stage 2 of the Student Complaints Procedure.

Students must have tried to resolve the issue informally at a local level first wherever possible before moving to the formal stage of the procedure.

Stage 2 – Formal Complaint Resolution

If the complaint is not resolved informally to the satisfaction of the student at Stage 1, the student has the right to pursue a formal complaint by submitting a complaint by email sent to: ashikin@eurasiaglobal.uk marking the subject as `Complaints. `

It is a requirement that the email is completed so that the matter can be effectively managed; and that students can clearly elaborate their concern(s), how they have attempted to resolve the matter informally at a local level, and what resolution they are seeking. Wherever possible, the form should be accompanied by evidence to support the complaint. This may be, for example, copies of relevant correspondence.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they raise all relevant issues and that they provide all the necessary information and supporting documentation at the point of submission. The Student Welfare Team may ask the student to provide further information or evidence and will set an appropriate time limit for this to be made available by the student.

Students should expect to receive an email acknowledgement to their formal complaint within three working days of receipt. If you have not received an acknowledgement within five working days, they should contact ashikin@eurasiaglobal.uk to ascertain if the complaint has been received.

Upon receipt of the student complaints, the programme administrator will normally contact the relevant individual to see if there is an opportunity to settle / resolve the complaint informally by mutual agreement (if appropriate), before a formal investigation is instigated.

Stage 2 of the procedures allows for the complaint to be independently investigated by the programme administrators and programme directors. Upon concluding their investigation, the programme administrator will make a recommendation to the programme director on what action should be taken, normally within one calendar month of receiving the student complaint. They may recommend that, in the interests of the student, partially unresolved matters be considered at a Stage 3 Formal Complaint Review.

The student will be provided with a written outcome of the conclusion of Stage 2. If the complaint is upheld, the student will be informed what action is to be taken, or any recommendations that have been made. If the complaint is partially upheld or not upheld, the student will be informed of reason(s) for the decision.

Students will also be advised on how they may proceed if they remain dissatisfied with the outcomes of Stage 2.

Stage 3 – Formal Complaint Review

If the complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student at Stage 2, the student has the right to have the complaint considered by EED’s Student Complaints Review Panel. The request for a review will be on limited grounds that the student does not think the outcome of Stage 2 is reasonable because:

There were unresolved matters at the end of Stage 2 and which may need to be dealt with at a higher level by the University Partner. It is important to add that any student complaint that is escalated to the CdP will be for academic complaints only. Non-academic complaints will be dealt with only by EED.
New material evidence has now become available and which the student was unable to, for valid reasons, provide earlier in the process.
There was procedural irregularity in how the EED followed the process in Stage 2.

The request for a review will be acknowledged in writing within five working days.

It is not normally possible to introduce new grounds for complaint at this stage, unless it relates to evidence that could not have been provided sooner.

The student administrators will identify the membership of the Student Complaints Review Panel. The constitution of the Panel will be as follows:

A Chair (drawn from the senior members of staff of EED).
An elected officer of the Students’ Union.
A member of EED’s Academic Team, or EED’ Advisory Board (Independent) or a member of the EED Management Group (non-academic complaint).
An officer from administration (Minute Responsibilities).

No members of the Student Complaints Review Panel will have a connection with, or will have previously advised, the student or be part of the School or Department involved in the complaint (with the exception of Complaint Team advising the student on the complaints process).

EED will make arrangements for the hearing of the Review Panel at the earliest opportunity. This will normally be within 20 working days of receipt of the formal request for a review. EED expects the student requesting the Review to attend the hearing and requires all parties to make reasonable efforts to find a mutually suitable date within the desired timeframe. In the event that the hearing date cannot be found within the desired timeframe or has to be delayed, all parties will be kept informed as to the reasons for this.

Documentation presented to the Student Complaints Review Panel relating to the complaint will also be provided to the student and the relevant members of staff to which the complaint relates. Any additional communications or documentation received after the deadline set by Complaints’ Team will not be accepted for consideration by the Panel, except at the sole discretion of the Chair of the Panel.

On the basis that reasonable steps have been taken to find a mutually suitable date for the hearing, EED will not normally rearrange the date of a hearing due to the absence of the student. If the student is unable to attend, they may nominate a representative to attend on their behalf, providing that the representative is also a member of the EED community. The Chair of the Student Complaints Review Panel review will decide how the Panel will proceed with a hearing in the voluntary or unavoidable absence of the student and whether or not it will permit a proxy to be nominated to represent the complainant.

Stage 4 – Consideration by the EED Student Complaints Review Panel

If the student still remains dissatisfied with the outcome of EED’s internal complaint review, then the case may be referred to the University Partner or the accrediting body, the BAC. EED’s programme administrative team will support the student to move the complaint from EED to the CdP or the BAC and will provide support to the student throughout the ongoing process. The BAC Complaints procedures can be found here:

https://www.the-bac.org/bac-complaints-procedure/

The College de Paris Complaints Policy:

Student can directly contact the College de Paris to voice their concerns. Their contact information is available on their website.

Here’s a summary of what you can do:

Look for “Contact Us” or departmental contacts on the College de Paris website.
Craft a clear and factual email outlining your complaint. By following these steps, you can initiate the complaint process with the College de Paris even though a formal policy might not be readily available.