Complaint Management’s Area of Responsibility for Teaching and Learning

The tasks that form part of Teaching and Learning Complaint Management include amongst other things targeted public relations work designed to increase the profile of the University and to support the target groups’ (potential students, students and former students for up to one year after deregistration) acceptance of the central office.

The central office handles all matters presented by students in relation to teaching and learning as well as administrative processes. These include amongst other things: problems of a curricular nature (e.g. feasibility of degree programmes or subjects, workload, design of range of courses, etc.), advisory, support and other services, equipment and resources, procedures (e.g. examinations, allocation of study places, etc.), difficulties dealing with staff.

Submitting a Suggestion

Articulation of criticisms or advice takes no special form. Concerns or comments can be submitted using the whole range of contact options such as telephone, e-mail, contact form (analogue and digital) or personal meeting, i.e. in text form and orally. All the information or documents necessary for assessment of the proposal should be submitted with the suggestion. All details are given voluntarily and there is no special deadline for submission.

Suggestions, advice, complaints, questions and criticism can be presented by students or student groups. They do not have to be personally affected by the subject of the matter or complaint. As individuals entitled to make reports under the fundamental procedural rules of Complaint Management, graduates, students who have changed university, and student drop-outs are permitted to make comments within one year of deregistration.

Complaints call for a rapid response, and prompt notification in text form about the receipt of comments is guaranteed. The procedure must be sufficiently professional for the escalation level of the matter.

Suggestions, advice, complaints, questions and criticism are examined systematically, firstly involving background research. Where necessary, Teaching and Learning Complaint Management identifies further information that is required to categorise the case, therefore it must be assured of the provision of all information concerning the case. Furthermore, positive developments in regard to academic quality are recorded.

Processing a Suggestion

Where necessary, Teaching and Learning Complaint Management determines what other information is necessary to categorise the matter and also to identify positive developments with regard to academic quality.

Ongoing procedures are established in the process. Depending on the nature and scope of the matter it may be necessary to pass information on to the appropriate people with responsibility. Whether Complaint Management contacts other appropriate people or simply advises the student(s) on how to present their case for themselves depends on the nature of the issue. At its discretion and depending on the case in question, the central office will contact the people making the reports and the affected institutions, members and associates of the University.

Every comment is taken and dealt with seriously, and may on request be submitted anonymously. The identity of the person making the report is treated as confidential insofar as this knowledge is not necessary for resolution of a case in the interests of the person making the report, or if they have not given their consent to disclosure in text form.

Where anonymous information concerns suspicion of misconduct by members or associates of the University, it is only handled provided the person making the report is willing to give personal details at least under the special duty of confidentiality that applies to Ombudsperson matters.

If the matter is regarded as a case for the Ombudsperson, the central office will advise the student about this and pass the case on to the Representative for Academic Quality/Ombudsperson. Complaints cannot be accepted if they merely contain accusations, defamatory statements or insults against individuals and no response to the information is possible because of anonymity, as this shows no evident desire for a solution.

If the suggestion or complaint is obviously baseless, the case may be refused. The same applies if the information provided does not enable categorisation of the case or the person making the report does not appear to have an objective or desire for a solution. A recorded case is closed when a required measure/suggestion has been realised as proposed or in modified form or if analysis of its realistic potential shows that it cannot be pursued by the responsible institution, likewise if a complaint is remedied, proves unfounded or is settled another way, or else has been withdrawn or can no longer be remedied. A case can also be closed if it is largely settled and measures introduced in response have to be continued as new cases. Finally, a memo can be recorded for the files.

Involving Various Stakeholders

The Presidential Board, departments and staff units of Central Administration, as well as the faculties and central institutions (including University Medical Centre) ensure that Teaching and Learning Complaint Management is informed promptly and comprehensively about suggestions and complaints they receive. Where one of these institutions has its own procedure for dealing with suggestions and complaints, central office may agree a duty of information limited to specific data.

Incorporating the experiences and knowledge of different stakeholders is essential to checking and improving quality. Measures that fundamentally deal with the area of responsibility or in some cases with the ongoing process are developed as required with the departments and institutions. In addition, quality assurance recommendations and measures can be initiated and supervised by Complaint Management. Any deadlines hereby agreed or set for the measures to improve quality are to be kept. Teaching and Learning Complaint Management is informed about the introduction of standards or follow-up activities that conclude positive developments in teaching and academic quality. If any recommendations, improvements or solutions that are developed are not followed up, this should be documented and explained.