A review of the Proctor’s decision may be requested on one or more of the following grounds:
- there was a procedural irregularity or error in the Proctor’s investigation
- the Proctor’s decision was unreasonable (you must identify which aspects of the Proctor’s decision you consider to be objectively unreasonable and explain why)
- you were not provided with clear reasons for the Proctor’s decision
- you have material evidence that the Proctor has not yet seen, and you have valid reasons for not having provided it earlier
The review will be conducted as set out in the University Student Complaints Procedure (PDF) or the University Academic Appeals Procedure (PDF), as appropriate. If the Reviewer upholds your review request, the matter will be referred back to the Proctors for reconsideration by a Proctor who has not previously been involved in your complaint or appeal, which may involve further investigation.
To make a request for review, you should submit a Complaint or Academic Appeal Review Request Form to review@proctors.ox.ac.uk within 10 working days of the date of the decision letter on your complaint or appeal.
Office of the Independent Adjudicator
The University’s procedures for complaints and appeals are completed when
- a Proctor’s decision letter on a complaint or appeal is not followed by a request for review within 10 working days
- a Proctor completes reconsideration following a review request that was upheld
- a review request is not upheld
If the student remain dissatisfied, they may be able to put the matter to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), an independent body set up to review student complaints.
The OIA can review complaints about:
- Academic appeals
- Factors affecting performance
- Teaching, supervision, and facilities
- Student accommodation
- Welfare
- Bullying, harassment or discrimination
- Placements
- Maladministration, procedural irregularities, and unfair practices
- Disciplinary matters, including plagiarism
- Fitness to practise
The OIA can’t look at complaints about:
- Admissions
- Academic judgement
- Matters in relation to which there are current legal proceedings
In order to access the OIA process, they must be a current or former student of the University and must have first exhausted all the available internal procedures. To confirm that their case has been dealt with internally, the student need a Completion of Procedures letter from the office that informed them of the outcome of their case. This should be provided to the student shortly after the internal procedures are completed if the student's complaint or appeal is not upheld. The student has a maximum of 12 months from the date of that letter to apply to OIA.
Where the OIA rules in favour of a student, it may recommend that the University or college should do something (e.g. look again at a complaint, or pay compensation) or refrain from doing something.
