Make a complaint
Guidance for registered students on how to make a complaint about any part of your university experience.
It is a normal part of life that you may have a complaint. We view complaints positively as they help us learn how to do things better. You will not be treated differently in any part of your university life if you make a complaint.
Timeframe to raise a complaint
Raise complaints promptly within 30 days of them arising. If you miss this deadline, you must have a good reason for a late complaint.
Informal complaints
If you think your complaint can be resolved informally, contact the relevant person to discuss it:
- teaching or education: contact your Unit Director or Programme Lead
- accommodation: contact student-accommodation@bristol.ac.uk or follow the accommodation complaints advice
- any other matters: contact student-complaints@bristol.ac.uk who will be able to direct you to the appropriate person.
You should receive acknowledgement of receipt of your complaint within 7 days and a response within 21 days.
If you do not receive a response within 21 days or are unsatisfied with the proposed resolution or outcome, you have an additional 30 days to make a formal complaint.
Formal complaints
- You must submit your complaint on time. If you do not have all the documents that you wish to submit with your complaint, you can submit these later.
- Explain your complaint clearly and concisely.
- Clearly set out the outcome that you would like to achieve from your complaint.
- Be polite. We understand that making a complaint may be a challenging time for you, but we will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour towards our staff who are trying to deal with your complaint. If we deem your behaviour to be unacceptable in this matter, we may terminate your complaint.
- If you would like us to talk to other people to seek further information, include their contact details and confirm that they have given their consent for us to contact them.
- If we are unclear about any part of your complaint, we will come back to you to ask you for confirmation that we have understood your complaint.
Formal reports about unacceptable behaviour
Unacceptable behaviour is any unwanted actions or practices that are inappropriate or unreasonable.
Reporting a student
The Student Resolution Service can provide you with support and information to help you decide what to do next if you have experienced unacceptable behaviour.
If you wish to report a student you can complete the 'Request contact from an adviser form' or report anonymously.
Our sexual violence support service supports students who have experienced any form of sexual misconduct, regardless of when or where it happened.
Reporting a member of staff
If you wish to report a staff member:
- complete the staff unacceptable behaviour form (document)
- email it to the Student Complaints and Mediation Manager (SCMM): student-complaints@bristol.ac.uk.
Who reviews the unacceptable behaviour report
The SCMM will send it to:
- the relevant line manager and copy in HR. They will review the report under the suitable staff procedure. They may explore informal resolution first, such as mediation.
- the Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor or delegate (if the report is about academic matters). They will review it using the Student Complaints Procedure (PDF).
- an Assessor (if its about free speech and academic freedom [PDF]).
They might send it to any combination of them.
What is not unacceptable behaviour
Unacceptable behaviour does not include:
- Legitimate criticism of a student's performance or behaviour
- Reasonable requests made by staff member
Advice and support
- If your report is about another student, email srs-casework@bristol.ac.uk
- If your report is about a member of staff, email student-complaints@bristol.ac.uk
Any other formal complaints
Complete the complaint form and email it to student-complaints@bristol.ac.uk
Late complaints
If you submit a late complaint, you must have an exceptional reason why it is late. If you wish to raise a complaint outside the time period specified:
- complete a late complaint request form explaining why your complaint is late
- send it to university-secretary@bristol.ac.uk.
Support with raising a complaint
- We encourage all students to speak to the Bristol SU advice team who are experienced in advising and supporting students through the complaint procedure.
- You can also request help from the University’s wellbeing service.
- If someone, such as a parent, relative or friend (“supporter”), writes to us to bring a complaint on your behalf, we cannot respond to that complaint unless we have your consent.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your formal complaint
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome at the Local Stage, you can request that your complaint be escalated to the University Stage.
Complete the Student Complaint Progression Form and submit it to complaint-progression@bristol.ac.uk. (Complaints where a requested outcome has been agreed at the Local Stage may not be progressed to the University Stage).
You must do this within 14 days of receiving the Local Stage response. A Complaint Review Panel or Complaint Review Officer will review your complaint, usually within 35 days.
They will write to you with a decision usually within 3 weeks of the panel meeting. The decision might be:
- to dismiss your complaint
- to refer it back to the original decision maker with recommendations for resolution
- to ask a committee to consider your complaint.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint at the University Stage, you can ask The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education OIA (HE) to review your complaint.
You have 12 months from getting the University Stage outcome to ask the OIA to review your complaint.