Student conduct, complaints and appeals
As a student at Southampton Solent University, you’re part of a community. We expect everyone to contribute to a safe and inclusive environment by acting responsibly and treating others with respect. If issues arise, we’re here to support you. Students have the right to raise concerns, make complaints, or appeal decisions through fair and transparent processes.
We want your experience at Solent to be a good one, but sometimes you may feel the services we provide don't meet your expectations.
It's important you do raise any issues with the University. We may not always be aware of the problems, and your feedback helps us to maintain the standard of experience we want for our students.
A complaint must be made in a timely manner and usually within one month of the incident/event
The student complaints procedure provides students with a means to complain about the services provided by the University whether that is problems with accommodation, fees, facilities or the standard of teaching. The student complaint policy applies to current students or those who have completed their course in the last three months.
Please note, this procedure doesn't cover problems with marks, results and examinations - see the academic appeals procedure, below.
We encourage students to first try to resolve issues informally, as in most cases this is the quickest and most effective way to resolve a problem. There are a number of people you can speak to about your issues and you can find contact details below.
If you have been unable to resolve the issues informally you can submit a formal complaint. You should never be concerned about making a complaint. The University will always ensure that any complaint is:
- Treated seriously, fairly and transparently, and with impartiality.
- Dealt with sensitively, in confidence and without fear of recrimination.
Documents
Student complaint form - stage 1
Student complaint form - stage 2
Where to get help
There are lots of sources of help around the University:
The Students' Union advice service
The Students' Union advice service offers free, confidential and impartial advice from the Union’s academic case worker. The academic case worker will also offer you support in any meetings with the University.
Academic Registry
A dedicated team within Academic Registry oversees the student complaint procedure and also deals with stage 2 appeals. If you need advice on either procedure you can speak to the student conduct, complaints and appeals team.
Email: appeals.complaints@solent.ac.uk
Tel: 023 8201 3808
The Student Hub
The Student Hub is a central space where you can access all of the information and support you need during your time at University.
Staff will help you resolve any query, and if they cannot answer the question themselves they will find the person who can.
When you receive your assessment results you may not always feel the decision is correct. You can submit an academic appeal and ask that the decision is looked at again.
The University is committed to having in place fair, effective and timely procedures for handling student academic appeals and ensuring that students may access these without concern that they may be treated less favourably as a result of an appeal.
You can't appeal 'academic judgement', which the University defines as “A decision about scholarship that only a suitably experienced academic can make”. This means you cannot ask for a review of your mark or grade just because you think it is worth more than the lecturer has given.
You may appeal the decision of a Board where:
- New, relevant, written extenuating circumstances are presented (see University extenuating circumstances procedure), supported by appropriate evidence, that for good reason were not originally made available to the Extenuating Circumstances panel, and therefore were not considered at the time of the decision of the Unit Assessment Board.
- Processes were not conducted in accordance with current approved policies and procedures or there was other irregularity concerned with the assessment process.
- There has been a material and significant error in the recording and/or processing of assessments/results.
- There has been a procedural error in the calculation of the award/progression decision; or,
- Academic penalties were not applied in accordance with current approved policies and procedures.
Instructions on making an appeal are published alongside your results on your results portal page. You'll also find details of where to submit your form and what the deadlines are for making an appeal.
Documents
Stage 1: Academic Appeal Form - send to stageone.appeals@solent.ac.uk
Stage 2: Appeal Review Form - send to appeals.complaints@solent.ac.uk
Where to get help
There are lots of sources of help around the University:
The Student Hub
The Student Hub is a great source of advice and can talk you through your results before you decide whether you need to submit a formal appeal. They're happy to help.
They can also provide you with copies of any forms or procedures you need and advise you on the grounds for an appeal.
The Students' Union advice service
The Students' Union advice service offers free, confidential and impartial advice from the Union’s academic case worker. The academic case worker will also offer you support in any meetings with the University.
Academic Registry
Academic Registry oversees the query and appeals procedure and also deals with stage 2 appeals. If you need advice on the procedure you can speak to the student conduct, complaints and appeals team.
Email: appeals.complaints@solent.ac.uk
Tel: 023 8201 3808
The student disciplinary procedure is specifically related to student behaviour that affects the lives of other students or staff or is detrimental to the University or its reputation.
Read the student disciplinary procedure
Anyone can make a complaint about a student, which would then be investigated under the student disciplinary procedure.
The University understands that making a complaint about another student is not easy and may be upsetting. The guide below aims to answer some of those questions you may have before you decide to make a complaint as well as providing contact details for where you can get support.
Guidance: Making a complaint about another student
If you need advice on the procedure you can speak to the student conduct, complaints and appeals team.
Email: appeals.complaints@solent.ac.uk
Tel: 023 8201 3808
Fitness to practice is an individual’s ability to meet professional standards and the ability to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, character and health to practice their profession safely and effectively according to the codes of conduct and standards of the relevant Professional Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB).
The Fitness to Practise Policy provides the necessary rules and procedures to enable the University to discharge its responsibilities for ensuring students are fit to practise in their individual professional field.
Read the Fitness to Practise Policy
Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)
The OIA is the independent student complaints scheme for England and Wales. They review complaints from students once all internal procedures at university are complete. If they find that we haven't done something quite right, they make recommendations for us to rectify the situation.
So, if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of an appeal, complaint or disciplinary you may be able to apply for a review of this to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education providing that the complaint you take to the OIA is eligible under its rules.