Student Complaints Procedure

1) Purpose & Principles

This procedure explains how students (and applicants regarding admissions service) can raise concerns and have them resolved promptly, fairly, accessibly, and without retaliation. It supports continuous improvement and UoL recognition obligations.

Principles: early resolution where possible; impartial investigation; confidentiality; reasonable adjustments under ADA/§504; data-minimisation and secure records.

2) Scope & Definitions

  • Complaint: expression of dissatisfaction about BIT’s service, teaching support, facilities, staff conduct, communications, marketing, or processes.

  • Exclusions/other routes:

    • Safeguarding or discrimination/harassment → handled under DSL/Equality routes (BIT will still acknowledge and coordinate).

    • Academic misconduct → Good Academic Practice policy.

    • Staff malpractice → Annex 35.

    • Data rights requests → BIT Data Protection policy.

    • Appeals about UoL assessments/decisions → UoL procedures (BIT will guide and refer).

Who may complain: current students, applicants (service issues), and recent alumni (within 3 months of leaving).

Time limits: normally within 3 months of the incident; extensions considered where there are good reasons (e.g., health).

3) Accessibility & Support

BIT provides accessible formats, advocacy/translation on request, and equitable timelines for students with approved accommodations. Complaints about disability access may also be taken to OCR or the Michigan Department of Civil Rights—BIT will not retaliate.

4) Stages & Timescales

Stage 0 — Informal Resolution (recommended first)

Raise the issue with the most relevant person (e.g., module tutor or service lead) as soon as possible. Many matters are fixed quickly with explanation or a simple remedy. Staff record the outcome for quality monitoring.

Stage 1 — Formal Investigation (Registrar-led)

  • Submit: submit online form (or paper form) with details and evidence.

  • Acknowledgement: within 2 business days.

  • Investigating Officer (IO): appointed by Registrar; must be independent of the case.

  • Process: evidence review, interviews, and a student meeting (reasonable adjustments available).

  • Outcome letter: within 10 business days of acknowledgement (complex cases may extend to 20 business days with reasons and a new date).

  • Possible outcomes: upheld / partially upheld / not upheld; with remedies and actions (see §8). Records stored securely.

Stage 2 — Review/Appeal (final internal stage)

  • If dissatisfied with Stage 1, write to institute within 10 business days, stating grounds (procedural error, new evidence, disproportionate outcome).

  • Panel: CEO & Academic Head (chair) or delegate, plus one member not involved earlier (COO or DSL as relevant).

  • Decision: normally within 15 business days. The panel may uphold, vary, or overturn the Stage-1 outcome and will issue a final response.

5) External Routes & UoL Interface

  • UoL matters (e.g., UoL assessment or regulatory issues): BIT compiles evidence and refers/assists the student to use UoL procedures; UoL is the awarding body and final arbiter for its assessments.

  • Civil rights/disability access: students may contact US Dept. of Education OCR or Michigan Department of Civil Rights at any time.

6) Roles & Responsibilities

  • Registrar: owns process, acknowledges cases, appoints IO, maintains the complaints log and evidence, reports trends to Academic Board.

  • Assistant Director/DSL: oversees wellbeing/safeguarding interfaces; ensures accessibility and non-retaliation.

  • COO: facilities/operations, remedies that require operational change.

  • CEO & Academic Head: Stage-2 chair; ensures academic standards and alignment with UoL obligations.

7) Interface with Other Policies

Where a complaint indicates staff misconduct or maladministration, the Registrar will log the complaint and the COO will open a case under Annex 35 (malpractice policy) while preserving the student’s rights under this procedure. Outcomes from linked procedures will be cross-referenced in the final response.

8) Remedies & Outcomes

Depending on findings, BIT may provide: explanation/apology; service corrections (e.g., timetable/teaching adjustments), reasonable adjustments or alternative arrangements, staff coaching/PD, policy or facilities changes, fee/charge remedies per the Student Handbook Refund Policy (where applicable), and referral to UoL where issues affect UoL assessment.

9) Data Protection, Records & Reporting

Complaint files are stored securely with role-based access and retention in line with BIT data-protection and student-records standards. The Registrar provides termly analytics (themes, timeliness, outcomes) to the Academic Board and into the QA cycle (Annex 37) for continuous improvement.

10) Vexatious or Repeated Complaints

BIT may curtail processes where behaviour is frivolous, malicious, or repetitive after reasonable review, while still ensuring students are treated fairly and signposted to appropriate routes.

11) Communication of the Procedure

This procedure is provided at induction and in the Student Handbook, and published on the website/portal. Staff receive annual refreshers via PD training.

Complaint Form