Student Support (including admissions, discipline, complaints and appeals)

The University of Manchester is responsible for the standards of the awards it makes in collaboration with partner institutions and for the quality of the student learning experience they provide. It is therefore concerned to define what student support should be provided by collaborative partners where it does not provide that support itself.

In collaborative provision, two types of student are distinguished: registered and associate students. The responsibility for their support differs accordingly.

• Registered students pay fees directly to The University of Manchester and therefore the University provides support and access to learning resources directly.
• Associate students pay their fees to a collaborative partner and therefore the partner has responsibility devolved to them to provide support and access to learning resources.

Support by the University of Manchester for Registered Students:
The University will provide registered students on collaborative programmes with relevant support equivalent to that provided to registered students on other programmes i.e on-campus or distance learning. Support may however be subject to geographical constraints (e.g. disability support cannot normally be provided at a distance).

Support by the University of Manchester for Associate Students:
Associate students do not have access to support services supplied by the University and it will be responsibility of the collaborative partner to provide relevant. Nevertheless, they can use the Careers Service resource centres and some areas of its website, and those who are able to visit the Library can borrow books and can access on-line resources for one day. 

Support by Collaborative Partners for Associate Students:
The following defines the minimum set of roles and services the University expects to find as support for associate students at a collaborative partner. The University will seek assurances of a partner’s ability to provide such roles and services during institutional approval and review. The University accepts that because of the different sizes and structures of institutions, there may not be posts or offices that carry exactly the specified title and that a variety of staff and units may provide the specified roles and services.

Programme level support
Academic programme director
Administrative contact
Personal Tutor/Academic Adviser
Personal Development Planning
Peer representation

Institutional level support
Library resources and learning resources support
Information Technology resources and support
Disability support
Counselling support
Accommodation advice
Financial advice
Careers advice
Central oversight of administration and records

Information
Programme Specification
Student Handbook, including programme regulations and mitigating circumstances procedures; Academic malpractice policy; Appeals and complaints procedure
Notice boards/Website
Advice on Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation
Transcript of results/Diploma Supplement
Information about the University and the nature of the partnership

Social support (where appropriate)
Sports facilities
Student societies
Students’ Union (or similar)

Admissions

In most types of collaborations, admissions are normally the responsibility of the partner institution, although the University may wish to give guidance on acceptable requirements.   In other cases, the University may need to ensure that it’s approved admissions requirements and acceptable entry qualifications are met by entrants to the programme.  The delegation for responsibility of admissions must be detailed in the individual agreements.

Discipline, complaints and appeals (specifically for validation arrangements)

The University of Manchester is responsible for the standards of the awards it makes in collaboration with partner institutions whose programmes (especially those in which it validates) and for the quality of the student learning experience they provide.  Validated partners must have their own robust and transparent policies and procedures for academic appeals, complaints and matters of misconduct. These policies and procedures must be included in the programme or general handbooks given to students, and accessible as necessary from other sources e.g. online.

There needs to be absolute clarity regarding the responsibilities of the University and the partner institution in matters of student discipline and complaints and appeals procedures.  This is the Procedure for hearing appeals or complaints from students registered on validated programmes at partner institutions and this should be included in the programme or general handbooks given to students:

• Partner institution appeals and complaints procedures are approved and reviewed via the procedures for institutional approval and review conducted by the University.  The University will not write appeals and complaints procedures on behalf of partner institutions, but may offer guidance and recommendations as to their content.
  
  
• Following completion of the partner institution’s procedures, a student may write to the Director of Teaching and Learning Support of the University of Manchester to request a review in connection with the appeal or complaint if s/he feels that his/her case has not been handled properly or fairly.  The University of Manchester must receive a review request from the student outlining why s/he does not believe the case to have been handled properly or fairly within twenty working days of the date on which the partner institution formally notified the student of its decision. 
  
  
• On receipt of the review request from the student outlining why s/he does not believe the case to have been handled properly or fairly, the Director of Teaching and Learning Support of the University of Manchester (or his/her nominee) will send a copy to the partner institution asking for a copy of the file relating to the case, including communication made with the student and for their comments, as appropriate, on the student’s review request.
  
  
• The Director of Teaching and Learning Support (or his/her nominee) will check, on the basis of documentary material, that the investigation was conducted properly and fairly, and that the published procedures were followed correctly but will not reinvestigate the appeal or complaint afresh.  The University may seek to apply the principles contained within their own similar appeals and complaints regulations in considering any procedural issues to be applied to the consideration of the review request.  In conducting the review the University may, if necessary, seek further information from the partner institution and/or the student as appropriate.
  
  
• In instances when the appeal or complaint raises serious or complex matters which require further investigation and enquiry, the review request may be considered by a panel of an appropriate composition within the University, and the student shall be updated accordingly.
  
  
• The Director of Teaching and Learning Support (or his/her nominee) will write to the student to inform him/her of the outcome of the review and the reasons for the decision, normally within forty working days of receipt of the student’s request for a review.  Potential outcomes may include recommendations for the partner institution to implement, a requirement for the partner institution to reconsider the matters raised by the student or dismissal of those matters as being without foundation. 
  
  
• There are no further stages in the appeals or complaints procedure beyond those detailed above and the University of Manchester shall issue the student with a Completion of Procedures letter.  Students who believe that their case has not been dealt with properly by the partner institution or by the University or that the outcome is unreasonable may be able to complain to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) if the complaint is eligible under its rules and once all the above procedures have been concluded.  [Note: information about the role of the OIA and the procedure for submitting complaints can be obtained from the OIA website: www.oiahe.org.uk]