Dear A Odebode

 

I acknowledge receipt of your email/letter received by this office on 30th
August 2017 in which you requested information regarding Student Complain
and Appeal Policies. 

 

Your request will now be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 and has been allocated reference FOI17-250 which should be quoted in
all correspondence. We will respond to your request within 20 working days
starting the next working day after receipt, therefore you can expect to
receive a response no later than 27^th September 2017.

 

Where we consider that we will not be able to meet this deadline or if
further time is required to consider the public interest test we will
contact you as soon as possible and give you a revised date for response.

 

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if that is the case, we
will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be
required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Steve Moss   Steve Moss
 
Strategic Planning & Governance   Adran Cynllunio Strategol a
Llywodraethu
Cardiff University   Prifysgol Caerdydd
Friary House   Friary House
Greyfriars Road   Heol y Brodyr Llwydion
Cardiff CF10 3AE   Caerdydd CF10 3AE
     
Tel: 029 208 70338   Ffon: 029 208 70338
E-mail: [1][email address]   E-bost: [2][email address]
 

 

We welcome correspondence in Welsh or English - Rydym yn croesawu
gohebiaeth trwy’r Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg

 

The Data Protection Act is changing! To find out more join the GDPR Yammer
Group [3]here

Mae'r Ddeddf Diogelu Data yn cael ei disodli! I gael gwybod rhagor,
dilynwch Grŵp Yammer GDPR drwy glicio [4]yma

 

 

 

 Dear A Odebode

 

I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated
30^th August 2017 in which you requested information regarding Student
Complaint and Appeal Policies.

 

For ease of reference, I have reproduced your questions below and set out
our corresponding responses:

 

1. Please state, if any, the University’s average or current timescale for
its officials to respond to student’s written request for specified
information/clarification/confirmation.

 

The Student Complaints Procedure provides details on response times for
issues raised, p330 of the Academic Regulations handbook
([1]https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/_data/assets/p...
Issues may be considered under Early Resolution and/or Formal Complaint
timescales as identified in the procedure.  The Academic Regulations also
include timescales in accordance with our other procedures including
Academic Appeals, Student Behaviour Procedure, Fitness to Practise and
Unfair Practice.

 

When a student asks for information regarding personal data by way of a
Subject Access Request the procedure followed is identified here:
[2]https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/public-informa....

 

The following requests relate to policy on admission and study start date.

 

2. When an applicant accepted University’s offer of admission onto a study
program, please state whether the applicant officially become a student to
start his study at the University, with full access to University’s
facilities and resources on:

2.1. the date the offer was accepted. Please clarify for both
unconditional and conditional offer.

2.2. the course start date stated on the admission offer letter.

2.3. the date the applicant made arrangement to pay or paid
full/instalment of tuition fees.

2.4. the date the applicant was fully enrolled by the University onto the
study program.

2.5. any pre-enrolment date the applicant met with proposed research
supervisor/tutor.

 

Details regarding enrolment can be found on our website:
[3]https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/new-students/b...
and confirms student status occurs when enrolment has been completed. 
Further information can be found on the process of enrolment on p258 of
the Academic Regulations Handbook:
[4]https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/__data/assets/...

 

3. Please state, for each of the above outlined (2.1 to 2.5) dates,
whether the applicant is eligible to be issued with the University student
ID/Library Card to have unrestricted access to study facilities and
resources.

 

Please see the answer to 2 above.

 

4. If the University did not enrol an applicant by the ‘course start
date’, say 1st January 2015,  that was stated on admission offer letter
but the University enrolled the applicant a month later, say on 2nd
February 2015, please state precisely (according to the University
admission policy for 2015/2016 academic year) whether the applicant is
deem to have become a student and to have start his study:

4.1. on the 1st January 2015, when the applicant was not enrol because the
University prevented it, or

4.2. on the 2nd February 2015, the date the University completed the
applicant enrollment.

 

Please see the answer to 2 above for details on enrolment.  Students are
only exceptionally allowed to enrol later than the required date for
enrolment stated on the offer letter where this is a specific case put
forward to the School and only where it is possible to support the student
academically.  The University will only prevent enrolment where a student
arrives on time if the student cannot demonstrate that they are eligible
for study or pay the fees. 

 

5. Please state and explain any circumstance under which the University
have or may allows non-enrol/registered applicant to start his study with
unrestricted access to study facilities and resources, as would a fully
enrolled student.

 

The student must complete enrolment to have full access to University
facilities (p257 of Academic Regulations, point 2.2 of Student Attendance
and Engagement Procedures).

 

6. Please explain the different between partial enrolment and Full
enrolment (according to the University’s admission policies for 2015/2016
academic year) and state whether the University have or may allows a
partially enrolled applicant to start his study with unrestricted access
to study facilities and resources, as would a fully enrolled student.

 

See the answer to 5 above.

 

The following requests relate to policy on student complaint to the OIA.

 

7. Please state whether it is the University policy/practice to suspend
actions on issues disputed by student in a complaint against the
University to the Office of Independent Adjudicator (OIA), until the
outcome of the OIA decision/investigation. Please state precisely, any
reason why the University may, or may not, suspend action on
dispute/complaint pending OIA decision.

 

Under their own Rules, it is general practice for the OIA not to review
complaints that they have received from students against Member HE
Providers until the internal procedures of the Member HE Provider have
been exhausted and a Completion of Procedures letter (COP) has been issued
to the student (Rule 4.2).  The COP includes confirmation of the outcome
of the student’s complaint or appeal, the reasons for the decision and
also confirms that the internal procedures of the Member HE Provider have
been exhausted.  In line with OIA guidance information about how the
student can refer their complaint to the OIA if they remain dissatisfied
is also included in the COP. 

 

In exceptional circumstances, and where satisfied there is good reason to
do so, the OIA may accept a complaint for review where the internal
procedures of the Member HE Provider have not been exhausted and/or the
Member HE Provider has not issued a COP (Rule 4.4).   In such cases, the
University would expect the OIA to confirm their reasoning for treating
the case as ‘exceptional’ and would engage with the OIA in the normal
way. 

 

Where appropriate, the University would expect students to continue with
their academic studies and sit any assessments whilst their complaint is
being reviewed by the OIA.

 

The following requests relate to procedure on terminating student status

 

8. Please state precisely the University procedure to terminate a student
status, particularly, whether it is the University practice to send a
termination notice or warning letter to the Student before status
termination.

 

A student’s status may be withdrawn for a number of reasons as set out in
the Academic Regulations.  The procedure followed will depend upon the
reason for considering withdrawal/exclusion.  The following procedures are
included in the Academic Regulations and breach of the procedure may lead
to a student having their status withdrawn: Unfair Practice Procedure;
Student Attendance and Engagement Procedures; Student Behaviour Procedure;
Fitness to Practice procedure.

 

The procedure may involve a letter notifying a student that they are at
risk of being withdrawn (e.g. for failing to enrol) to provide opportunity
for the student to take action.  For other procedures, an investigation
takes place prior to the decision being made (e.g. Student Behaviour
Procedure, Unfair Practice Procedure, Fitness to Practise Procedure).  The
Academic Regulations also provide details of how a decision can be
challenged/appealed.

 

9. Please state whether, when a student status is terminated, all email
communication inside the Student’s University-email address are retained
on the University’s system beyond the status termination date. If yes, for
how long are they retained on the system?

 

The University’s email account is retained for 13 months after a student’s
end date.

 

The following requests relate to policy on student exclusion

 

10. If a research student final thesis was received (by post) at the
University on a date the University deemed to be after the student
registration has lapsed, please state whether it is the University policy
to automatically FAIL-WITHDRAW or exclude the student from the University.
Also, please state for the period between 1st January 2012 and 30th August
2017:

10.1. the total number of research student that the University
FAIL-WITHDRAWN or excluded from their study program on the ground of late
submission of thesis.

10.2. the ethnicities, by percentage, of the total number in above (10.1).

 

Once the period of candidature has expired, the University does not
normally accept submission of a thesis. 

 

10.1 and 10.2 - This information is not collated centrally. As there are
24 Academic Schools it would take more than 18 hours to collate the
information you require. The University is not obliged to spend more than
18 hours (as set by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection
(Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004) collating such information
and accordingly the exemption provided by section 12(2) of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 will apply.

 

 11. Please state precisely what procedure the University MUST follows to
FAIL-WITHDRAW or exclude a research student for late submission of thesis.

 

The University follows HESA guidance in relation to maintaining student
records via the University’s Student Information Management System (SIMS)
and all records must be updated at the end of each academic period.  As
with all students if they do not engage or have not submitted the thesis
by the required date they are withdrawn formally at the end of the
academic session.  This will be recorded on SIMS and the student will
receive written confirmation of their withdrawal from their course of
study.

 

12. Please specify any provison/adjustment the University can put in
place, if it deems it fair and reasonable, to allow student whose thesis
was received late to proceed to examination. Furthermore, please provide
for the period between 1st January 2012 and 29th August 2017:

12.1. the total number of student that the University have put such
provision/adjustment in place for.

12.2. the ethnicities, by percentage, of the total number in above (12.1).

 

Information on extenuating circumstances, extensions of time and late
submission of theses can be found on p13-14 of the Code of Practice for
Research Degrees which is available on our website:
[5]http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/public-informat....

 

12.1 – 12.2 - These are exceptional cases and the information is not
collated centrally. As there are 24 Academic Schools it would take more
than 18 hours to collate the information you require. The University is
not obliged to spend more than 18 hours (as set by the Freedom of
Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations
2004) collating such information and accordingly the exemption provided by
section 12(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 will apply. 

 

13. Please state whether the University will allow a research student to
proceed to examination if:

13.1. the University received the student thesis after the submission
deadline but within his registration period.

13.2. the University received the student thesis on the date his
registration/enrolment period lapsed.

 

See the answer to 12 above.

 

14. Please state whether it is the University policy to make available to
a student information (including name, position and role) about the
University’s official staffs that constituted an ‘Assessment Board’, which
decided on the student academic progression/FAIL-WITHDRAW/exclusion. In
addition, please state whether:

14.1. it is the University policy to disclose details of officials that
constitute the Board if the subject student requested such information. If
not, please explain any reason/grounds on which the University can refuse
to provide such information.

 

Procedures for the arrangement and conduct of Research degree examination
can be found within the Assessment Regulations on p231 of the Academic
Regulations (see link above).

 

This following request relates to clarification of the term ‘Good Standing
with the University’

 

5. Please state precisely the University’s official interpretation of the
term ‘Good standing with the University’. Also, please state for the
period between 1st January 2012 and 29th August 2017:

15.1. any reason/grounds on which the term have been applied by the
University to terminate a student status at a time of ongoing appeal
process against a University’s FAIL-WITHDRAW or exclusion decision.

15.2. the total number of student that the University have applied such
measure against.

15.3. the ethnicities, by percentage, of the total number in above (15.2).

 

Cardiff University does not use the term ‘Good Standing with the
University’.

 

The following information request relates to policy on reasonable
adjustment for Disability

 

16. Please state whether the University would make a reasonable adjustment
for a research student to submit his thesis and proceed to examination if;

 

16.1.     the University is aware that the student has suffered disability
during the course of his study and he is unable to submit his completed
thesis to the University himself. If yes, please state what reasonable
adjustment the University can provide for student in such situation. If
no, please explain why.

 

16.2.     the a student re-enrolled to the University at the end of an
authourised interruption to study, but the University is aware that he is
unable to submit his completed thesis to the University himself. If yes,
please state what reasonable adjustment the University can provide for
student in such situation. If no, please explain why. 

 

16.1-16.2 - The University makes reasonable adjustments for disabled
students on an individual basis and one of these could be an extension of
time to submit a thesis. Students are encouraged to communicate with the
University throughout the course of their study and would receive guidance
in relation to the Extenuating Circumstances procedure and accessing the
support of the Disability and Dyslexia Service.  A student who has a
disability during the course of their research should report it as
extenuating circumstances to the School. If they did not do this during
the studies they can raise an academic appeal if in close proximity to the
withdrawal. Details of the Academic Appeals procedure can be found on p274
of the Academic Regulations (see link above).

 

16.3.     the University prevented the student from submitting his thesis
within deadline by unfair policy practice that was later changed by the
University.  If yes, please state what reasonable adjustment the
University can provide for student in such situation. If no, please
explain why.

 

The University applies its policies contemporaneously and any revised
policies specify a date of commencement.  In line with our Student
Complaints Procedure and Academic Appeals Procedure, students have a
period of 14 days in which to raise their complaint and any complaint
received after this time would be considered as out of time.  If the
thesis submission was prevented on academic research misconduct grounds
there is a right of appeal in this area which the student could use,
details of which can be found on p253 of the Academic Regulations (see
link above). 

 

 

 

I trust this information satisfies your enquiry.  The University has a
Freedom of Information Complaints Procedure should you feel dissatisfied
with this response or the way in which your request was handled.
Complaints must be made in writing and must set out why you believe the
University has not met its obligations under the Freedom of Information
Act.  You may email your complaint to [email address] where it
will be forwarded to the Director of Strategic Planning and Governance who
will be responsible for overseeing the review.

 

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome of your complaint, you
have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for
consideration.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at the
following address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
Cardiff University. If you require further assistance please feel free to
contact me.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Steve Moss   Steve Moss
 
Strategic Planning & Governance   Adran Cynllunio Strategol a
Llywodraethu
Cardiff University   Prifysgol Caerdydd
Friary House   Friary House
Greyfriars Road   Heol y Brodyr Llwydion
Cardiff CF10 3AE   Caerdydd CF10 3AE
     
Tel: 029 208 70338   Ffon: 029 208 70338
E-mail: [6][email address]     E-bost: [7][email address]

 

We welcome correspondence in Welsh or English - Rydym yn croesawu
gohebiaeth trwy’r Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg

 

The Data Protection Act is changing! To find out more join the GDPR Yammer
Group [8]here

Mae'r Ddeddf Diogelu Data yn cael ei disodli! I gael gwybod rhagor,
dilynwch Grŵp Yammer GDPR drwy glicio [9]yma