Complaints about industrial action 2025-26

Guidance for students

General information

The University remains committed to delivering an educational programme for each student during any period of industrial action and it will seek to ensure that students remain able to complete their programmes of study and graduate as anticipated.

All reasonable attempts will be made to make contingencies for students to continue their studies without detriment to their learning opportunities and assessment outcomes.

These may include rescheduling lectures or running alternative sessions to cover content, drop ins for students, agreeing extensions to assessment deadlines, and assessment boards may be given exceptional instructions to ensure students are not disadvantaged or penalised.

If you are seeking to submit a complaint

For complaints regarding the impacts relating to the strike action which took place across November and December 2025 we are varying the process in line with the Student Complaints Procedure.

Our student complaint procedure allows for an informal stage complaint, a formal stage complaint and a case review.

Exceptionally, and where there is good reason, the University is able to accept formal stage complaints where no informal stage complaint has been lodged.

You are invited to submit to a bespoke Formal Complaints form, designed specifically for these Industrial Action Complaints on the basis that 

• information regarding the impact of industrial action is held and available centrally
• the inclusion of an informal stage may cause delays due to the resource implications of responding to a high number of complaints locally in schools
• the central management of formal complaints will provide the opportunity to ensure consistency of handling and approach in resolution

Through this form you will need to include the following information:

• Modules, teaching, learning opportunities missed or otherwise affected by the industrial action, including specific dates and times of the individual sessions which are subject of the complaint.
• Specific impact (eg academic, health and wellbeing, financial) of not receiving the modules, teaching, learning opportunities.
• Specific impact of not having access to a University Service.
• Your desired outcome or resolution.
• Supporting evidence should be included where relevant.
• Give details of actions taken by your school to replace any lost teaching or learning, or mitigations put in place for the assessment of the module, and state why you believe these were not satisfactory.

This will allow all factors you deem relevant to the case to be taken account of and also allows you to make an individualised case specific to your situation, including any other impact you feel you have experienced and can evidence.

Time limits

The University will normally not consider complaints made more than 30 days after the incident has occurred, however given the nature of the impact of industrial action, we are extending this time period and complaints should be raised no later than 1 September 2026.

Should you want independent advice or assistance putting together a case you are encouraged to contact the Student Advice Centre (Students’ Union).