Luton International College

Complaints Procedure

Luton International College is committed to providing a high quality educational experience, fully supported by a range of academic and administrative services and facilities.  However, situations might arise which are not favourable to student’s fulfilments.  The College fully recognises the need for students to be able to express their dissatisfaction and opinions when these occur.  In such cases, Luton International College hope to provide students with a system that is easily accessible for raising concerns and which ensures that these complaints are handled:

• As quickly and as fairly as possible.
• In confidence.
• Within the principle of natural justice.

If a student (hereafter referred to as complainant) believes that they have a legitimate complaint, their first step should be to refer to a member of Administrative Staff (Student Advisor) to clarify what is reasonable for them to expect in the relevant area.  The student Advisor would explain the student in detail the entire procedure that is involved.  This is described below.

Based upon the magnitude of the complaint, the procedure is divided into two stages:

• Formal Procedure
• Informal Procedure

Formal Procedure

1. Our academic staff, in accordance with their contract, are obliged to request feedback in the form of a questionnaire from their students during and at the end of their course.  This questionnaire involves the effectiveness of tutor’s teaching method, provision of notes, and his/her commitment to the students and the provision of academic facilities.  However, if a student feels the need to lodge such a complaint prior to this period they can do so.  It is hoped that such complaints are resolved informally as quickly as possible.  In such cases the first point of contact should be the tutor themselves.  Even though the academic staff of LIC are more than happy to accept feedback/complaint from students on one-to-one basis, this should always be approached in a friendly manner.  If however, the complainant feels unable to raise the matter with the tutor, then advice should be sought from the Staff Administrator.
2. To discuss the complaint, the student should book an appointment with the Staff Administrator.  The Staff Administrator will try to establish the nature of the complaint in depth, ensuring that it is justifiable, valid and legitimate.  At the same time be assured that this will be done in complete confidence with the complainant without any prejudice.  Because the Staff Administrator works in close liaison with the tutors on many aspects, a meeting will be held with the specific tutor as soon as possible.  The Staff Administrator will not refer to any particular student or name/her during the course of the meeting.  The outcome of the meeting will be to collaboratively develop a strategy/solution/recommendation to resolve the matter.  The Staff Administrator will contact the complainant making him aware and assuring him/her on the steps that will take place to remedy the problem.
3. If, having pursued the matter informally, the complainant believes that her/his concerns have not been addressed to her/his satisfaction; the matter may be raised through the formal stage of this procedure set out below.

Informal Procedure

1. Again for a Formal Procedure, the student will need to contact the Administration Office.  Formal complaints must be made in writing in the form of a letter addressed to the Principal.  The letter should contain the following information: Student ID, Contact details, name of the module, the name of the tutor and the grounds of the complaint.  When stating the grounds of the complaint, the student should give as much detail as possible.  The complaint letter could be either posted or handed personally to the Staff Administrator.  If posted, will be acknowledged the receipt of the letter.  The letter is then forwarded to the Principal.
2. On the receipt of the letter, the Principal will take actions depending upon the nature of the complaint as follows:
3. If the complaint is regarding an unsatisfactory teaching method of a specific tutor, then the Principal would include this as a priority in his agenda for the next Monthly Review Meeting.  The members of this meeting (Principal, Course Director, Staff Administrator, Admin Assistants and Course teachers) would devise ways of rectifying this error.  This is done so that such complaints from the students could be utilised as an input to constantly develop the teaching methods of all academic staff rather than just the specified tutor.  (To maintain the integrity, the Principal will not identify the tutor during the meeting against whom the complaint was lodged).
4. If the complaint is concerning the structure in which any module is delivered, then he appoints a Complaints Committee.  The members of the Complaints Committee involve the Principal, the Course Director and the Tutor of the module.  The complainant must also attend the meeting; he/she may be accompanied, if she/he wishes, by a friend who has to be a currently registered student of the same course module.
5. The date, time and location of the meeting will be known to the complainant so that he/she can prepare written statements for submission in advance of the meeting.  An opportunity will be made available for the complainant and his/her colleagues for oral statements to be made at the Committee’s meeting.
6. The Complaint’s Committee will then consider all the evidence gathered.  If required the Course Director would seek advice from Education Department on the feasibility of a solution.  The Committee’s decision will be notified to the complainant in writing within 5 working days of the date of the meeting.

Written complaints once dealt with are recorded for future reference and form an integral part of Review Meetings.