In this section

Each of the college's and permanent private hall's (PPH's) have specific responsibilities within the Universities federal system. Due to their independence from the central University, if you experience a difficulty with any college specific matter, these need to be challenged via each college's complaints process.

What are college and PPH's responsibilities?

Colleges and PPH's have responsibility for: 

  • Selecting and admiting undergraduate students
  • Selecting postgraduat students (after they are admitted to the University)
  • Providing non-academic provision for students including:
    • Accomodation
    • Meals
    • Common Rooms
    • College libraries 
    • Sports and social facilities
    • Pastoral care
    • Financial support (if they choose to)
  • Undergraduate students tutorial teaching and welfare 

What are the Universities responsibilities?

The University has responsibility for:

  • Determining the content of the courses within which college teaching takes place
  • Organising lectures and seminars
  • Providing resources for teaching and learning (in the form of libraries, labatories, museums, computing facilities etc)
  • Admitting and supervising postgraduate students
  • Examining theses 
  • Setting and marking examinations 
  • Awarding degrees 

Complaints about these matters can be raised via the University Complaints Procedure.

University Complaints

Follow our general guidance below on submitting a college complaint.

Step one: Find your college Complaints Policy

Find your college's policy

Step two: Raise your complaint informally

How do I raise an informal complaint?

Most college policies advise you to try and raise your complaint informally with the person who has responsibility for that area where possible. However, you can skip this if you feel uncomfortable. You can choose to do this in-person or by email. We'd always recommend following up with an email,

What should I include in my complaint?

We'd recommend including the following:

  • (i) What has happened to give rise to the complaint - explain briefly what your complaint is in relation to

  • (ii) The underlying facts, including key events and dates - explain in chronological order what happened on which dates which created the timeline of the complaint. If you are unsure of exact dates, its ok to give best guesses - for example 'in the first few weeks of Trinity Term'

  • (iii) What you think the subject of the Complaint did wrong - explain where you think the university has failed to meet the obligations they promised you. For example, it was advertised that you would have ten hours of face to face teaching a week and you are only getting five hours per week

  • (iv) The evidence that supports your Complaint - direct the college to specific pieces of evidence which prove this (for example, write: see annex C) and explain how the evidence proves this. This evidence could be emails or a copy of your handbook explaining what you could expect from the college.

  • (v) The impact you have faced as a result of this - explain the impact this has had on you, this could include if it has exacerbated or caused any health (including mental health) difficulties, if its impacted your ability to engage in the course/college/Oxford life fully or any other impacts on you.

  • (vi) Your ideal outcome - whilst the Proctors cannot guarantee any particular outcome, it is helpful for them to have an understanding of what would feel like a good outcome for you. Generally, the outcomes fall into any (or all) of the following:

    • - An apology
    • - An policy change
    • - An revisiting of a previous decision (note: this doesn't include academic decisions, the complaints process cannot be used to challenge an academic decision such as your final grade, this would need to be done via the academic appeals process)
    • - Compensation

All college's of the University subscribe to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, who are an ombudsman of Higher Education institutions. If you go through all of the college's processes without a satisfactory resolution, you can complain to them for a final decision. Therefore, the college looks to their guidelines in how to satisfactorily resolve situations. Their guide to 'Putting things right' is therefore a helpful place to get suggestions on different types of remedies available.

Step Three: Raise your complaint formally

How do I raise a formal complaint?

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your informal complaint, or were unable to informally raise it for whatever reason, then you can generally submit a formal complaint. You should check your individual college as to whether there is a specific form to fill out or whether you should email in your complaint. Your complaint should include all of the information included in your stage one complaint (as above) as well as an explanation as to why you are unhappy with the outcome of your stage one complaint.

Step Four: Appeal

How do I appeal?

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your formal complaint, you will be able to appeal or request a review of this decision. This could be:

  • To an reviewer within your own college
  • To the Conference of Colleges Appeals Tribunal (CCAT)
  • To the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)

You should check your individual college's complaints process to confirm which of these would apply.

CCAT    OIA

If you would like advice on your specific college's complaints procedure or your draft complaint/evidence checked over by a member of our team, then read our Advice Agreement and Contact Us and we'd be happy to help.