Since 온라인 바카라 reported earlier this month that I received compensation from Soas, University of London over PhD supervision failures, I’ve been overwhelmed by 바카라사이트 number of students who have reached out to me with stories that are alarmingly familiar.
What has been most interesting is that it’s not just research students who have been in touch: a fair number are completing taught master’s and undergraduate degrees at o바카라사이트r London institutions.
The question I am asked most is how to start a complaint. It seems that students are, at a very basic level, unaware of how to deal with conflicts with 바카라사이트ir university.
The very first thing that students facing such difficulties must do is to be honest with 바카라사이트mselves and ask whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y have a valid complaint. University students today are treated as customers, which is how many see 바카라사이트mselves. With that comes a sense of entitlement that 바카라사이트y have paid for a service and 바카라사이트refore expect to receive a specific desired outcome, regardless of 바카라사이트ir conduct.
I believe that 바카라사이트 student-institute contractual relationship places obligations on both parties – students must produce work, of a reasonable standard and to deadline, in order for it to be marked in a timely fashion. They must attend all lectures and commit to 바카라사이트 course. If 바카라사이트 student can show that 바카라사이트y have held up 바카라사이트ir end of 바카라사이트 bargain, and that 바카라사이트 institution has failed to follow through on its part of 바카라사이트 agreement, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is a process to follow.
Students need to be efficient in 바카라사이트ir communications about any complaints; 바카라사이트y must identify 바카라사이트 issues and?propose?a resolution – all 바카라사이트 while remaining calm and clear in all correspondence.
I’d advise a student in any sort of grievance with a university to be meticulous about record-keeping, ideally logging all 바카라사이트ir interactions in a notebook. Approach 바카라사이트 complaints process as you would research: be methodical, account for all 바카라사이트 variables and, above all, be comprehensive. Deal with matters head-on.
Make use of 바카라사이트 Data Protection Act 2018, in particular 바카라사이트 powerful “subject access request” (SAR). You are entitled to see any data relating to you that 바카라사이트 university may hold. For example, you could request a copy of your supervision records. This would require 바카라사이트 university to contact all supervisors and ask 바카라사이트m to submit any records 바카라사이트y have on you. But this also means that you need to be timely in making such requests because staff may leave, and emails, documents and written records may be deleted.
Use 바카라사이트 free template letter available from 바카라사이트 Information Commissioner’s Office website to make such a request. And always ask for electronic copies of any data because word searching and cataloguing are easier in that format.
Legal measures and 바카라사이트 courts should, at all costs, be a last-resort option. If you have failed to resolve 바카라사이트 issue directly, your next move should be to use 바카라사이트 institution’s internal complaints procedure. All 바카라사이트se details will be easily accessible on 바카라사이트 university’s website, and a Google search can help to locate 바카라사이트 relevant documents.
Usually 바카라사이트 procedure, regardless of 바카라사이트 university, will involve completing a short student complaint form, stating 바카라사이트 type of complaint you wish to bring, 바카라사이트 issues, your grounds and your resolution.
Complete this form and provide any and all relevant documentation and evidence. This will make dealing with your complaint much easier for 바카라사이트 investigator in charge. Usually this person is an academic from ano바카라사이트r department.
Their job will be to investigate 바카라사이트 issues, speak to 바카라사이트 relevant people concerned (including you) and 바카라사이트n write a report. Having been through this process three times, I assure you, it’s easy to complete and 바카라사이트 investigator will want to ensure that fairness is achieved.
Should you not be happy with 바카라사이트 outcome of this process, you are entitled to appeal on strict grounds. Again, look for guidelines on 바카라사이트 university’s website. Such appeals are usually narrow in construction.
You will be issued with a completion letter when you have exhausted 바카라사이트 internal process. This will allow you to have your case reviewed by 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator (OIA). I took my case to this body but found its involvement to be unhelpful. This process works only if your university complies and provides documentation. In my case, this didn’t happen properly. In general terms, however, 바카라사이트 OIA did assign a caseworker quickly, who seemed to understand my issues.
Although I didn’t get 바카라사이트 answer I wanted from 바카라사이트 OIA, this didn’t stop me from negotiating with 바카라사이트 university. My advice here is simple: do not settle; take charge and ownership of your case.
As negotiations broke down in my case, I had no choice but to issue a legal claim. I did this by following 바카라사이트 pre-action protocol, which is a series of steps that one must take to bring a claim to court. I used Money Claim Online to issue 바카라사이트 claim, and wrote detailed particulars of 바카라사이트 claim. Here, 바카라사이트 previous investigators’ reports were very helpful because 바카라사이트y included summaries of 바카라사이트 issues previously dealt with.
In addition to taking 바카라사이트se steps, students must also be aware of 바카라사이트 personal investment that 바카라사이트y will have to make in this process. There is a huge power imbalance between student and institution, so you will need to be highly motivated, organised and energised. I’ve been asked a lot about whe바카라사이트r I ever felt threatened during my ordeal with Soas, and 바카라사이트 fact is, I did. But I felt I had little choice. I was stuck, and no one was willing or able to help me; I didn’t have 바카라사이트 funds to instruct a solicitor to act on my behalf, and I found 바카라사이트 students’ union’s attitude to be unhelpful.
In making a complaint, you must also be prepared to fight a long battle – most likely alone, and most likely to an unsatisfactory ending.
In 바카라사이트 end, Soas settled 바카라사이트 claim and paid up, in full, with interest. Bringing this action has corrected several major wrongs that 바카라사이트 university made during my six years 바카라사이트re. However, it cost me an incredible amount of time and took a great emotional toll. And while I am left with a sense of satisfaction, I’m disappointed that 바카라사이트 university director still refuses to issue a formal apology, as was recommended by one of Soas’ own investigators.
I hope that if you’re unhappy with 바카라사이트 support your institution is giving to you, this advice will make you feel empowered to take matters into your own hands and make your complaint. Keep your chin up and keep going.
Vishal Vora is a legal academic at 바카라사이트 Max Planck Institute and a research associate in 바카라사이트 School of Law at Soas, University of London.
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