This morning Professor Debra Humphris‚ Pro Vice–Chancellor Education‚ commented on today’s report by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator:
“Some staff and students may have noted coverage in the press today of a report by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)‚ the watchdog which rules on student complaints about universities. The report mentions that the University of Southampton did not comply with the rules on how to handle complaints.
“The OIA contacted us about three formal student complaints from 2010 where there had been some delays on our part. This was the start of a constructive and supportive dialogue between the University and the OIA.
“We immediately took steps to resolve the outstanding cases, and have also undertaken a deeper review of our processes. This review has the full engagement of our Students’ Union and will be completed, and its recommendations implemented, by the beginning of the academic year 2011/12. The OIA has recognised the progress we have made and features our work with them as a case study in their Annual Report.
“We will continue to review our processes throughout the next academic year to ensure that they are aligned to our goal of improving the student experience at the University.”