Make a complaint
We recognise that there may be occasions when you are dissatisfied with the opportunities, services and facilities and that you may wish to complain.
There are many ways for you to provide feedback on aspects of your student experience e.g. via student representatives, feedback and module surveys.
Please note the information detailed below is specifically to provide guidance about the University's complaints process. If you wish to report a serious mental health concern or have experienced any form of violence and abuse either for yourself or on behalf of another Cardiff university student please let us know via the Report & Support tool.
Student complaints procedure
The student complaints procedure explains how any student who is enrolled/registered has the right to submit a complaint. It also includes information about the option of submitting a group complaint and explains the circumstances in which a representative can be appointed.
This procedure does not provide an academic outcome. If you wish to seek an academic outcome and/or challenge any academic decision in respect of your results, you will need to submit an academic appeal under the Academic Appeals Procedure.
Follow the guidance below for all other types of complaints.
Information about making a complaint, including available support, useful contact information and the various stages.
Download document (PDF, 189.6 KB)
(If this document cannot be read by your assistive software, you can request an accessible version by emailing web@cardiff.ac.uk. Please include the assistive tools you use and the format you require)
There are time limits in the Procedure; complaints must be raised within 28 days of the concern arising – or the latest occurrence of the incident, if ongoing.
Complaints submitted after 28 days will only be eligible for consideration if you can demonstrate an exceptional reason (with independent evidence) why you were unable to submit within the usual timescale.
The procedure states that you can submit a complaint about the following:
- the alleged action(s) of a member of staff
- the alleged action(s) of a student
- if you feel that you are experiencing bullying, harassment, discrimination, or sexual violence from someone in the university community
- irregularities in the delivery of a programme of study
- the quality of access to supervision
- issues with your placement or your placement year
- the quality of facilities, services, or learning resources
The procedure sets out the different stages for consideration of your complaint, including a review stage which is the final part of the university’s internal processes.
Eligible complaints raising serious or complex issues are more likely to be referred for consideration in accordance with stage 2 formal, rather than stage 1 informal.
A complaint raising issues relating to sexual or racial or hate harassment or assault, or supervision during postgraduate research studies will normally be considered under stage 2.
Completion of procedures
We will send you a letter called a “Completion of Procedures Letter” when you have reached the end of our processes and there are no further steps you can take internally. If your complaint is not upheld, we will issue you with a Completion of Procedures Letter automatically.
If your complaint is upheld, or partly upheld, you can ask for a Completion of Procedures Letter if you want one. You can find more information about Completion of Procedures Letters and when you should expect to receive one.
Submitting a complaint
You must submit the complaint to the Complaints Administrator for your School, or for College or Department where the issues arose if appropriate, together with the documents/evidence you wish to rely on.
Student complaint form
This form is to be completed by a student who wishes to submit a complaint.
Download document (Word, 134.0 KB)
Form of Authority to Appoint a Representative in the Student Complaints Procedure
This form is to be completed to appoint a representative in the Student Complaints Procedure.
Download document (Word, 24.3 KB)
List of group members form
This form is to be completed by the appointed Group Spokesperson.
Download document (Word, 52.3 KB)
Group Spokesperson Form
Each student who is party to the group complaint must complete this form.
Download document (Word, 55.9 KB)
Request an accessible format
If any of these documents cannot be read by your assistive software, you can request an accessible version by emailing web@cardiff.ac.uk. Please include the assistive tools you use and the format you require.
Independent advice
For independent advice, you can speak to Student Advice at the Students' Union where there are trained advisers who provide impartial, confidential, free advice, support and representation on University regulations.
Student Advice Centre
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) runs an independent scheme to review student complaints.
Cardiff University is a member of this scheme. If you are unhappy with the outcome you may be able to ask the OIA to review your complaint. You can find more information about making a complaint to the OIA, what it can and can’t look at and what it can do to put things right.
You normally need to have completed all the stages of the University’s student complaints procedure before you complain to the OIA.