Applicant Complaints and Appeals Procedure

How to make an applicant complaint or appeal

Before making a complaint/appeal you should ask for feedback under the Feedback processes outlined in the Admissions Policy: Admissions Policy Taught Courses, section 4, Feedback to Applicants.

If you have already completed the feedback process as outlined in the Admissions Policy and remain unhappy with the outcome, you should follow the stages outlined in this procedure which are covered in more detail in the Applicant Complaints and Appeals Policy: Applicant Complaints and Appeals Policy  

A flow chart showing a summary of the Applicant Complaints and Appeals Procedure is also available: Applicant Complaints and Appeals Process Flowchart

There are deadlines within this procedure and we expect you to keep to these unless you have compelling independent evidence to show why you could not do this. We are also expected to meet our deadlines but there will occasionally be times when we are unable to do this for good reason. If so, we will let you know why and keep you informed of progress.

There are 3 stages to the procedure:

·        Stage 1: Informal Resolution

·        Stage 2: Formal Stage

·        Stage 3: Appeal

 

Stage 1 Informal Resolution

If you remain unhappy after receiving feedback under the Feedback processes as outlined in the Admissions Policy: Admissions Policy Taught Courses, section 4, Feedback to Applicants,  you should complete Stage 1 of the Applicant Complaint/Appeal Form: Applicant complaint and appeal form.  Please give us the details of your complaint and tell us the solution you would like in order to resolve your complaint.

You should make your complaint at Stage 1 as soon as possible and no later than 10 days after receiving feedback, unless you can provide compelling independent evidence which shows why you could not raise the complaint sooner.

You should send your completed Applicant Complaint/Appeal Form with evidence by email attachments, to:

  1. study@hud.ac.uk: UK applicants
  2. office@hud.ac.uk: EU and International applicants

The Student Recruitment Manager (UK applicants) or Head of International Operations (EU and International applicants) or nominee will investigate your complaint.

You will normally receive a written response, providing reasons for the outcome, within 10 working days of the date that we received your Stage 1 complaint. This will mark the completion of the informal stage of the procedure.

 

Stage 2 Formal Stage

If you are unhappy with the Stage 1 response you should complete Stage 2 of the Applicant Complaint/Appeal Form: Applicant complaint and appeal form.  You should ensure that Stage 1 also remains completed from the earlier stage of your complaint.

You should email the completed Applicant Complaint/Appeal Form no later than 10 working days of the date you were issued with Stage 1 response to:

  1. study@hud.ac.uk: UK applicants
  2. office@hud.ac.uk: EU and International applicants

The Director of Marketing, Communications and Student Recruitment (UK applicants) or Director of International Development (EU and International applicants) or nominee, will investigate your complaint.

As part of our investigations we will consult with relevant departments and staff within the University as appropriate and will undertake further enquiries where necessary before providing a written response.

You will normally receive a written response providing reasons for the outcome, within 15 working days of the date that we received your Stage 2 complaint. This will mark the completion of stage 2 of the procedure.

 

Stage 3 Appeal

If you are unhappy with the Stage 2 response you can appeal in writing to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) within 10 working days of date you were issued with the Stage 2 outcome. You will need to explain why you are unhappy with the Stage 2 response when making the appeal and include copies of previous correspondence and any supporting documentation. New evidence cannot be introduced at this point.

You should email your appeal for the attention of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) and send by email to:

  1. study@hud.ac.uk: UK applicants
  2. office@hud.ac.uk: EU and International applicants

The Pro Vice-Chancellor or nominee will review your appeal and decide if the appeal should be referred to a hearing of a Review Panel. There will be no grounds for referral of an appeal to a Review Panel where, in the reasonable judgement of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, the relevant admissions decision has been made as a result of the correct and impartial application of the published admissions criteria and you have not demonstrated evidence that an irregularity has occurred.  This decision will be communicated to you, normally within 10 working days of receipt of the appeal.

Where a Review Panel is necessary, the Panel will normally comprise of the Pro Vice-Chancellor or Dean of the Graduate School, two Heads of Department or interviewers from a department other than the one(s) applied to. The Director of Marketing or Director of International Operations will act as technical adviser and note-taker to the Panel. Panel members will not have had any prior involvement in the case. The Review Panel will normally meet within 20 working days (although in University vacations this time period may be extended) of the date of receipt of the appeal letter and communicate its conclusions to the applicant and the department within 20 working days of the meeting.  

The decision of the Review Panel is final and is not subject to appeal.

Where a complaint/appeal is upheld, the Chair of the Review Panel may make recommendations to the Dean/Director or Head of the relevant Academic or Service department. Recommendations may also be made to University committees in respect of quality assurance policies or procedures.

If a complaint/appeal is not upheld, you will be informed in writing with reasons for its rejection.

There is no further appeal permitted beyond the Third Stage.