UK Quality Code for Higher Education

1. UK Quality Code for Higher Education Chapter B9: Complaints and appeals on academic matters Consultation discussion event January 2013

2. Programme

3. UK Quality Code for Higher Education www.qaa.ac.uk/qualitycode

4. Chapters of the Quality Code • Part A: Setting and maintaining threshold academic standards • Part C: Information about higher education provision • Part B: Assuring and enhancing academic quality • B1: Programme design and approval • B2: Admissions • B3: Learning and teaching • B4: Supporting student achievement • B5: Student engagement • B6: Assessment of students and accreditation of prior learning • B7: External examining • B8: Programme monitoring and review • B9: Complaints and appeals • B10: Management of collaborative arrangements • B11: Research degrees • A1: The national level • A2: The subject and qualification level • A3: The programme level • A4: Approval and review • A5: Externality • A6: Assessment of achievement of learning outcomes General introduction

5. What are Indicators? What is the UK Quality Code for Higher Education? What are the overarching values? Who is the Quality Code for? How is the Quality Code organised? General Introduction How does the Quality Code relate to legislation? Who enforces the Quality Code? Why does the UK need a Quality Code for Higher Education? What are Expectations? How has the Quality Code been developed?

6. Quality Code: components

7. Quality Code – under construction The existing elements of the Academic Infrastructure put back together in a different order Some completely new chapters e.g. student engagement Review and editing of the whole for consistency and to reduce duplication Some reworking to cover topics in a more appropriate way

8. Building the jigsaw Part B: Assuring and enhancing academic quality Oct 2011 Chapter B7: External examining Mar 2012 Part C: Information about higher education provision Jun 2012 Chapter B11: Research degrees Chapter B5: Student engagement Sep 2012 Chapter B3: Learning and teaching Dec 2012 Chapter B10: Management of higher education with others Mar 2013 Chapter B4: Supporting student achievement Apr 2013 Chapter B9: Complaints and appeals on academic matters Part A: Setting and maintaining threshold academic standards Oct 2013 Chapter A1: The national level Chapter A2: The subject and qualification level Chapter A3: The programme level Chapter A4: Approval and review Chapter A5: Externality Chapter A6: Assessment of achievement of learning outcomes Chapter B1: Programme design and approval Chapter B2: Admissions Chapter B6: Assessment of students and accreditation of prior learning Chapter B8: Programme monitoring and review

9. Creating the pieces

10. In numbers... Number of delegates at all consultation events = 1183 Number of consultation responses = 673

11. Chapter B9:Complaints and appeals on academic matters

12. Timescales

13. Feedback from… Equality Challenge Unit Office of the Independent Adjudicator Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

14. The UK quality code – student complaints and appeals The role of the OIA Imran Abrahams Assistant Adjudicator imran.abrahams@oiahe.org.uk Cardiff 17 January 2013

15. The OIA and the Quality Code • The OIA – Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education • Independent of HEIs and of Government • Majority of Board from outside the world of higher education • Operates in England and Wales

16. Not a regulator, but: • Member of the Regulatory Partnership Group • Part of QAA Advisory Group developing Chapter B9 of the Code • Memorandum of Understanding signed with QAA, December 2012 • Sharing of information including: • Information gathered through complaints to the OIA that suggests broad concerns about academic quality • Information gathered through the QAA Complaints and Concerns scheme that suggests issues with HEI complaints or appeals systems

17. The OIA provides: • Appropriate remedies for higher education • Free service for students • Common system across England and Wales • Faster, cheaper, specialist alternative to courts • Feedback that can be used to improve complaints handling and the student experience • Independent Adjudication, free from government or HEI influence

18. Complaint handler of last resort • The OIA receives a small number of complaints compared to the number of enrolled students in England and Wales • Around one in seven of complaints that have reached the end of internal HEI procedures is referred to the OIA • Number of complaints increases each year; provisional figure for 2012 is over 2000 complaints received (25 per cent increase on 2011)

19. We review complaints about any act or omission of an HEI Academic appeals, assessments and grades (2011: 70 per cent). Contractual and service issues (2011: 10 per cent). Discrimination and Human Rights (2011: 3 per cent). Others. Student must normally have exhausted HEI’s internal processes (appeal or complaint) before complaining to OIA What does the Scheme cover?

20. What do we do? • We review complaints to see whether they are Justified, Partly Justified or Not Justified : • Did the universities properly apply regulations and follow procedures? • Was the university’s decision reasonable in all the circumstances? • We also make good practice recommendations • Dissemination of good practice and feedback to HE sector

21. Academic Judgment. Matters for which only the opinion of an academic expert will suffice Outside time limits (three years from event; three months from COP letter). Matter is or was subject of court proceedings (unless formally stayed). Admissions. What we can’t look at (ineligible complaints)

22. 1: QAA Quality Code B9 • Trends in OIA complaints: • Procedural fairness • Lack of clarity in complaint/appeal processes • Perception of bias • Delay! • OIA considers what is “good practice” • Significant factor: has HEI followed QAA indicators of sound practice?

23. 2: QAA Quality Code B9 • OIA’s Pathway 3 – sector wide consultation and report: • Early Resolution pilots – Jan to March 2013 • Good Practice Framework – sector wide; voluntary; complement QAA Quality Code

24. How to contact us • By post: • Third Floor, Kings Reach, 38-50 Kings Road, Reading, RG1 3AA • Tel: 0118 959 9813 • Online: www.oiahe.org.uk • Email: enquiries@oiahe.org.uk

25. Themes and the Expectation

26. Definitions • Complaint: the expression of a specific concern about matters that affect the quality of a student’s learning opportunities • Appeal: a request for a review of a decision made by an academic body about student progression, assessment and awards

27. Scope • All students including graduates • Admissions covered in B2: Admissions • Further guidance for research students in B11: Research Degrees • Important to have clear arrangements with partners (further guidance in B10: Managing higher education provision with others)

28. Themes (1) • Equality and diversity embedded • Working in partnership with students in the design and review of procedures • “informal” arrangements for resolution • Fit with independent review

29. Themes (2) • Complaints and appeals as a source of information (but distinction between feedback and complaints/appeals) • Positive engagement • information and guidance • Good design and implementation

30. Expectation Higher education providers have procedures for handling student complaints about the quality of learning opportunities and appeals against academic decisions which are fair, efficient, accessible and timely and which promote enhancement.

31. Questions • Is the scope and limits of the Chapter sufficiently clear? • Have equality and diversity issues been adequately addressed? • Is the wording and scope of the Expectation appropriate?

32. Indicators of sound practice

33. General principles (1-2)

34. Information, advice and guidance (3-4)

35. Internal procedures: design and implementation (5-6)

36. Action, monitoring and enhancement (7-8)

37. Questions • Are the Indicators appropriately worded to reflect the Expectation? • Are the indicators ordered and grouped in a logical order? • Is anything missing from the Chapter?

38. Key points from earlier events

39. Expectation • Generally supportive • ‘handling’ – no better alternative • ‘efficient’ – some reservations • Clarify ‘promote enhancement’ • remit of chapter – academic matters – is clear cf not sure about ‘learning opportunities’ • Timely – different HEI and student expectations?

40. Indicators • Importance of interaction with other procedures – harassment, discipline • Equality and diversity over repeated • 50/50 split on whether to keep 5 & 6 as two indicators • Meaning of accessible • Split 2 – early res could be part of 5 • Welcome reference to staff (4) • Include sharing of good practice as part of evaluation (8)

41. Order of indicators • Majority content with existing order • Some suggestions that 5&6 belong after 1

42. Website: www.qaa.ac.uk/qualitycode Email: qualitycode@qaa.ac.uk Sign up to QAA News: www.qaa.ac.uk/Newsroom/News/Pages/QAA-news-alert.aspx Further information

43. Scoping events: Part A: Setting and maintaining threshold academic standards, B1: Programme design and approval and B8: Programme monitoring and review, B6: assessment of students and accreditation of prior learning • 25th February- Cardiff • 28th February- Belfast • 4th March- London • 5th March- Glasgow