Experiences of complaining against a uni?

Hi everyone,
wondering if anybody has any experiences or advice of complaining against your university?
Will spare all the details, but basically for one second year law module, everyone has had a problem from the start, poorly run, drafted in staff who are incompetent, our tutor tells us she doesn't have any knowledge of the topic and expects us to teach ourselves etc etc. I sent an email on behalf of a group of us who felt the same way, to the Dean of the Law school and Deputy Dean, who continued to brush off concerns. Dean told me I no longer needed to keep him in the loop. Continued emailing Deputy who just disregarded my concerns and made it sound like I was the incompetent one. In the end I stopped emailing for my own sanity.
This is the first point I want to complain about - would likely be an internal complaint.

Secondly I want to complain/try to get compensation for the strikes this year as all strike days have affected my uni - has anyone attempted to do this before? I've been told its literally destined to fail but people have got compo in the past and if you don't try you'll never have a chance so...
Advice please!

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

You need to speak to your student union and your course rep. There are formal processes to follow.

Reply 2

Lucifer323

You don't have to follow formal processes. Complaints are a waste of time with predetermined outcomes. The complaints process is run by colleagues and friends of those the students have issues with. You don't expect friends and colleagues to rule against their friends and colleagues in the vast majority of cases if not all. Only naive and inexperienced students are falling into the complaint trap. Best: put pressure together with other students and threaten to withhold tuition payments or threaten them with lawsuits.

Reply 3

999tigger

Original post by javvyjingle

1. Then launch a formal complaint as per the uni and they cant ignore that. If you are a law student get your facts and evidence in good order and follow the procedure.
2. Diffcult and will almost certainly be refused by the uni. Either speak to student uni and see if they are doing anything, speak to cab and sue them in CC. You are the lawyer so good research opportunity for you.

Get the backing of fellow students. You have more credibility if there are a lot of you.

Reply 4

Lucifer323

Original post by 999tigger

Hi, see my post please.

No need for student complaints as the outcome is always predetermined.

Reply 5

Lucifer323

Original post by PQ

You need to speak to your student union and your course rep. There are formal processes to follow.

Student Unions are not acting in order to promote the rights & interests of the students. Is not a place where a student can get sny help in most cases.

Reply 6

999tigger

Original post by Lucifer323

Hi, see my post please.

No need for student complaints as the outcome is always predetermined.

I did and agreed to differ.

Reply 7

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Lucifer323

Student Unions are not acting in order to promote the rights & interests of the students. Is not a place where a student can get sny help in most cases.

Representing students is written into their constitutions and founding documents.

No legal action will be successful unless a claimant has tried to resolve the complaint using official processes first.

Reply 8

Joleee

i only know of one formal complaint in my class, and they didn't have the evidence so no success. just make sure you have that secured before you launch your complaint. also, similar to any legal action, make sure you can demonstrate a sufficient degree of harm. general annoyance but no real harm will probably not suffice.

just from what you've written, please don't drag your personal tutor into this. you can't expect your personal tutor to be qualified to teach every subject.

don't know about compensation for the strikes but if you're saying it's worked for other students, then might as well ask.

Reply 9

Lucifer323

Original post by PQ

You seem to think legal action has something to do with the complaints process. It has nothing to do with each other. The complaints process had no legal basis and it's just an internal procedure.

Most complaints if not all rejected simply because the process is a trap. As I explained only those who are naive and inexperienced met may think that they could resolve a serious issue using the complaints procedure. Only very few times this may bring you results. In the vast majority of cases friends and colleagues of those you have an issue with will dismiss your complaint .

The legal route has nothing to do with the complaint process as you claimed .