Universities UK responded today (Tuesday) to the publication of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education’s (OIA) Annual Report for 2009 and welcomed the increased awareness of the OIA complaints procedure. It also welcomed the report's finding that there was a decline in the number of justified complaints. 

Professor Steve Smith, President of Universities UK, said: “As this report shows, there is a growing awareness of the OIA's role as an adjudication service, and this is to be encouraged. With more and more discussion about tuition fees, there is an increased awareness of what students expect from their universities, and rightly so.

“It's encouraging that the OIA recognise that universities are handling their complaints more effectively. The report shows that there was another decline in the percentage of cases that were either justified or partly justified compared to last year.

“The 1,000 or so complaints must also be seen in the context of the 1.9 million students in England and Wales covered by the scheme. The number of complaints received is very small (0.05%) and three quarters of them were judged not justified.

“However, universities are not complacent and are constantly working to get the number of complaints down. Universities are increasingly aware of the importance of improving the student experience and learn from complaints and student feedback. The latest National Student Survey (NSS) continues to show high satisfaction rates among students.”

The OIA report found that, of the eligible complaints reviewed in 2009:

• 5 per cent were Justified (7 per cent in 2008),
• 13 per cent were Partly Justified (16 per cent in 2008)
• 75 per cent were Not Justified (71 per cent in 2008)

Notes

1. The Independent Adjudicator's (OIA) Annual Report for 2009 will be available to download at: www.oiahe.org.uk