Rise in student complaints

There has been a 25 per cent increase in official student complaints against universities. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator received 734 complaints last year, compared with 586 the year before. Predominantly based around exam result challenges, the complaints have also been over the quality of education for international and older postgraduate students. Medical students have been noted as the likeliest of complainers. Upheld complaints have risen as well – in 2006, nineteen per cent were recorded, which rose to 26 per cent last year.

Lady Deech, the Chief Adjudicator, stated that ‘litigation culture’, barristers and solicitor firms who actively seek students to represent are partly to blame for the increase – although students’ expectancy of good results also played a factor. He said: "This is probably because there are so many more graduates emerging onto the job market now that graduating with, say, a lower second, is insufficient for success. They want very good marks in order to stand out."
64 per cent of complaints were based on academic results, while disciplinary matters and plagiarism made up 11 per cent of the complaints. A focus from older students on employment prospects rather than the life experience that younger students get at universities played an important part in the increase, as six in 10 complaints were from students over 25. The figures are contained in an annual report by the Office of the Independent Adjucator for higher Education due to be published in full next week.