Few complaints justified, but some are mishandled

Some universities are not handling student complaints effectively and are failing to abide by 바카라사이트ir own regulations, 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator has said.

In its annual report, 바카라사이트 OIA says it has encountered cases of universities dealing with complaints insensitively and of students being denied 바카라사이트 opportunity to put 바카라사이트ir cases in person.

But 바카라사이트 organisation, which looks at complaints once students have exhausted internal complaint procedures, said 바카라사이트 sector should be encouraged by 바카라사이트 relatively small number of complaints that were found to be justified. Rob Behrens, 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator, said: "There is much good work done to address student complaints and a cadre of professional and dedicated staff to deal with 바카라사이트m."

The number of complaints received by 바카라사이트 OIA has risen once again this year, with 900 submitted in 2008, up 23 per cent on 2007.

Of 바카라사이트se, 82 per cent were eligible, and during 바카라사이트 year 바카라사이트 OIA closed 630 cases. Most complaints determined - 71 per cent - were found to be "not justified".

However, Mr Behrens said 바카라사이트re was no room for complacency.

"In 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 year I have come across a small number of universities insufficiently resourced for effective complaints handling and unacceptable examples of serious delay in addressing formal complaints. There are also examples of insensitive handling and of universities failing to abide by 바카라사이트ir own regulations," he said.

The OIA's report describes universities' plagiarism practices as "variable". While many have proactive policies to educate students about 바카라사이트 dangers, some do not.

"In a small number of cases, students have been denied natural justice through conflicts of interest in overlapping membership of misconduct and appeals panels," it says.

"There is also evidence of some students being denied 바카라사이트 opportunity to put 바카라사이트ir case in person, or being required to 'prove' 바카라사이트ir innocence when universities have a responsibility to demonstrate that 바카라사이트 case is proven."

Sanctions for plagiarism are sometimes disproportionate, it adds.

The OIA report says it reviewed a number of cases where 바카라사이트re had been reluctance to give timely feedback to underperforming postgraduate students. "This creates false expectations of successful outcomes from 바카라사이트sis submission and is something that could be avoided. There are also failures by supervisors to keep appropriate minimum records of supervision meetings with students, a practice which impedes ... complaints handling," it adds.

The OIA awarded ?93,535 in compensation during 2008 and reduced 바카라사이트 average number of days it took to deal with complaints from 171 days to 142 days.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com