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To provide a procedure to resolve student complaints and grievances fairly, equitably and promptly.
Complaints regarding the College could concern administration, lecturers, facilities or some other matter.
Students with complaints should complete a 'Do You Have Something to Say ?' pamphlet or approach any staff member directly. If it is a more serious matter they may pursue a grievance.
More serious matters such as : discrimination, sexual harassment, breach of the Equal Opportunity Act, unfair treatment by another student or staff member or any other matter that the student views as very serious should be referred/reported to a Grievance Officer or Regional Manager. Grievances do not need to be lodged in writing. The student bearing the grievance has a responsibility to: Ensure the relevant person is appropriately made aware of the grievance, and Provide sufficient information to enable the College to assess the grievance. The Public Sector Grievance Resolution Standard does not specify a time period to complete a grievance resolution process, other than it should be completed as quickly as possible. The timeframes suggested below are therefore not obligatory, but should be used as a guide. When a grievance arises the objective is to resolve it through informal mediation as early in the process as possible. The formal resolution procedure should only be implemented when all possible attempts at resolution through mediation have been exhausted. Informal Mediation Process The aggrieved student should attempt to resolve the grievance with the other party. If a resolution cannot be reached, the grievance should be referred to the aggrieved student's lecturer. Where the student has a grievance with his/her lecturer, the student should refer the grievance to the Regional Manager or Grievance Officer. The Regional Manager, or Grievance Officer should attempt to resolve the issue informally. If a resolution cannot be achieved within three working days of initiation, the formal procedure should be followed. Note: Resolutions involving disciplinary action must be in accordance with the Public Sector Management Act, and the College Disciplinary Procedure, and must be referred to the Managing Director for approval before action is taken. Formal Grievance Resolution The nature of the grievance and details of attempts at resolution should be documented by the Regional Manager and/or Grievance Officer. The report should be referred to the Managing Director within four working days of initiation of the grievance. The Managing Director should attempt to resolve the grievance through mediation. The assistance of Grievance Officers should be sought if required. If a satisfactory resolution cannot be achieved within three working days The Managing Director must document details of all attempts at resolution including any actions taken and the resulting outcomes. The grievance should be referred immediately to the appropriate external body for arbitration. The Managing Director must ensure that the actions determined by the arbitrating body are actioned, and document the outcomes in the report. The report is placed on a secure file held specifically for Grievance Reports. The aggrieved party to be informed in writing of the outcome of the process. The reports should be held for five years. |