Complaints

The complaint process

Informal complaints

Once you've attempted to resolve matters by talking with someone from the relevant department or service, you can make an informal complaint by completing an informal complaints form (PDF 252KB). 

Formal complaints

The complaint should be considered first by the appropriate department or service it relates to as an informal complaint. If you (the student) are not satisfied with the outcome of the informal complaint, you can submit a formal complaint to the Student Registry team, in the University's central administration.

Case review requests

If you are not satisfied with a decision taken in respect of a complaint or appeal, you can submit a case review request form requesting that your case be reviewed by a Vice-President.  You may only request a case review on one or more of the following grounds:

• There was a material procedural irregularity that rendered the process leading to the decision taken in respect of the formal complaint or academic appeal unfair.
• Material that you could not reasonably have been expected to produce at the time of the decision taken in respect of the formal complaint or academic appeal casts substantial doubt upon the appropriateness of that decision.
• The decision taken as a result of a formal complaint or academic appeal was manifestly unreasonable.

There are separate procedures for admissions complaints and appeals for prospective students applying to study at the University.

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Advice for students

Make yourself familiar with the Information for students submitting a complaint document.

The Student Advice Centre can also give independent advice to a student on their position. Their website contains advice on how to lodge a complaint, as well as the support available to you from the Student Advice Centre. 

We strongly encourage you to read these pages before submitting a complaint.

You can also contact the Student Engagement & Progress Team or the Student Conduct & Appeals Team for procedural advice.

Concerns about research integrity or misconduct

Use our online tool for guidance on the process for raising concerns about potential research misconduct. This will help to ensure that concerns are addressed through appropriate channels.

Report a research integrity concern

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External review

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) runs an independent scheme to review student complaints. The University of Sheffield is a member of this scheme.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your appeal/case review, you may be able to ask the OIA to review your case. Information about making a complaint to the OIA, what it can and cannot look at, and what it can do to put things right is available on the OIA website.

You will normally be required to have completed the complaints or academic appeal procedure at the University before you can refer to the OIA. Once you have completed the procedure, and there are no further steps you can take internally, you will receive a 'completion of procedures' letter which contains information about making a complaint to the OIA.

Once you have received this letter, you may submit your complaint to the OIA via their complaint form. This must be received by the OIA within 12 months of the date of the 'completion of procedures' letter.

When deciding whether to make a complaint to the OIA, you should consider any factors that make it particularly important for you to bring the complaint promptly, such as

• deadlines for completing the course
• the course or module being discontinued
• whether the remedy you are seeking will be impossible to implement after a certain date