Students as customers? The new world

Is your university experiencing a rise in student complaints?  Not sure where to turn next?  If you're a member of staff, or a student, read on to find out what's happening about student complaints and how to deal with them at low cost to you and your university.  

Complaints rise

June 2011 saw the publication of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator’s Annual report in which Rob Behrens commented on the sharp rise in student complaints. 

More significantly, the projected rise attracted media interest as students move towards higher fees and a “value for money” culture more characteristic of the customer.

Reputation and Competition

The volume of student complaints is rapidly becoming a significant issue for universities in the UK as they seek to attract more students and provide an ever-higher quality of academic experience – while wrestling with decreased funding.  Competition between institutions is becoming more intense, and the number of sustained complaints could influence the decisions that prospective students make about which institution to select.  The value of reputation thus becomes paramount for universities as they enter a market-driven environment, competing for students and enhancing their profile to gain advantage.

What the OIA can and can't do

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), set up in 2004, deals with student complaints, but only as a “last resort”, when all procedures within the university in question have been exhausted. Its remit is limited so has no jurisdiction over complaints that refer to admissions or to academic judgements.  This can mean that students may find that having gone through the university complaints system, their issue remains unresolved, and it is at this point (or ideally much earlier) that it is often worth considering a mediated option. 

Why mediation?

This provides the student and the university with an opportunity to engage an impartial third party to help resolve matters without recourse to legal action.  More importantly, it is in the interest of both to undertake mediation, or mediation training to help change the culture of complaints’ referral to an agency like the OUA for resolution.  The idea is to equip and enable students and staff to troubleshoot their complaints within the university.  Peaceworks will prepare you to deal with this emerging landscape.

Why Peaceworks?

Peaceworks will make sure you're supported

  • Confidentially
  • Cost effectively
  • Carefully and sensitively
throughout the mediation process.  You are in charge, and you can choose to have our direct support for your current complaints, training for staff in the university, learn how to be a mediator yourself or opt to have us handle the whole thing with you.

Peaceworks runs accredited courses in Mediation Skills Training and for information on how to book one of our scheduled courses follow the link. If you would like Peaceworks to train student or staff mediators, call us to discuss your requirements.  Peaceworks are also mediators, and if there are current complaints within the university that you’d like support with, give us a call on 01243 820604, or email sue@peaceworks.org.uk.

P.S.  Remember, you don't have to do this alone.  Peaceworks are there to help you - students, staff and parents