Student Complaints and Grievances
The University has a number of processes for managing student complaints. This section of the Provost website will guide you through the processes and procedures required to submit a formal complaint or grievance to the University.
Before you submit a formal complaint or grievance, you should attempt to resolve the issue informally. The formal process requires you to outline the history of the complaint or grievance and your attempts to resolve it.
Please refer to the complaints and grievances flowchart (PDF 251.3 KB) for further information.
Please note that the University considers addressing concerns and complaints by students to be an important part of the University’s commitment to continuous review and improvement. No student should fear a negative outcome or retribution from raising concerns or making a complaint provided that they are not vexatious or made maliciously.
Grounds for a complaint or grievance
The grounds for a complaint or grievance include, but are not limited to the following:
- You were affected by a decision that was made without sufficient consideration of facts, evidence or circumstances.
- You were affected by a failure to adhere to appropriate or relevant published University policies and procedures.
- A penalty, where applied to you, was unduly harsh.
- You were affected by improper, irregular or negligent conduct by a person involved.
- You were affected by unfair treatment, prejudice or bias.
Exceptions
There are some categories of complaint that are handled using specific policies and procedures that fall outside the Complaints and Grievances process. If your complaint relates to any of the following, please read the accompanying policy and procedure pages for details about how to proceed:
- Discrimination, sexual harassment or bullying by staff - http://policy.unimelb.edu.au/UOM0120
- Unsatisfactory Progress - http://policy.unimelb.edu.au/UOM0392
- Selection Appeals: Queries regarding course selection decisions are managed by the University’s Office of Admissions through the following web site http://www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/admissions/entry-requirements/selection-appeals.
What's the difference between a complaint and a grievance?
Complaint
A complaint is often resolved informally or through mediation, though it may develop into a grievance if a resolution cannot be found.
The subject of a complaint is normally an action, decision or omission within the control or responsibility of the University, that causes a student to feel they have been wronged.
Grievance
A grievance is a complaint that may result in disciplinary action against a staff member or student. It may also be a complaint that has failed to reach a resolution after informal processes have been attempted.
The submission of a grievance will result in the appointment of an investigator to examine the complaint, according to the process established by the University Grievance Policy (http://policy.unimelb.edu.au/UOM0402) and Procedure (http://policy.unimelb.edu.au/UOM0433).
Select one of the options below to continue
Please note, the following options will provide you with more information about each of them - it will not start the formal procedure.