Complaints from university students about their courses hit record high

Complaints from university students about their courses hit record high 

Complaints about university courses issued by students have hit a record high, the BBC reported. 

According to reports, more than a third of 2,763 complaints made to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) were in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. 

It is understood that compensation granted to students exceeded £1.3m. 

However, the BBC suggested staffing issues, industrial action, and delays in submitting complaints from as far back as 2020 were to blame for the high complaint figures seen. 

The OIA said the pandemic significantly reduced some students “learning experiences” 

They added that this notion explained, in part, why the total number of complaints submitted in 2021 evidenced an increase of 6% on the previous year. 

Course delivery was the “largest” complaint category seen within the report. 

Additionally, students complained about the lack of access for in-person facilities like laboratories, whilst others claimed they were unable to study abroad. 

Staffing issues and poorly prepared substitute teachers were among the most criticised areas. 

The dependence on remote lectures was also a recurring issue. 

“Some students struggled with digital literacy, especially in online timed exams,” the report added. 

 “For others their limited typing skills affected their performance” 

Conversely, some students flourish under the remote learning environment as they suggested it had made “learning easier”. It is understood that disabled students benefited the most whilst studying remotely. 

“Students told us that they valued having more control over how and when they could access their learning experience,” the OIA said. 

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator said in addition to the vast number of complaints in total, the compensation awarded to students was “significantly higher” than previous years. 

Universities UK said the report of high complaints was “concerning” but stressed the number only represented a “small fraction of the total student population”