Student Grievance Policy

GRIEVANCE HANDLING PROCEDURES

 

Australian College of Christian Studies (ACCS) has detailed procedures in place for handling grievances made by students. Academic and non-academic matters are governed by separate policies. The policies include information relating to, but not limited to:

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• The relevant contact staff at the College for grievances,
• The procedure to be followed by the College in handling grievances,
• Rights of students/intending students,
• Appeals process,
• Availability of external arbitration, and
• Student input into and feedback on the grievance handling process.

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ACADEMIC MATTERS

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Preamble:

The College encourages open discussion between students and their teachers, especially in matters of assessment and marking. It aims to affirm both adult learning values, such as self- directedness and creativity, as well as personal values, such as mutual accountability. However, the College recognises that at times a matter related to assessment will not easily be resolved between student and teacher or assessor, requiring further measures to be taken.

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For the purposes of this procedure, academic matters relate to student progress, assessment, and curriculum, and awards in a course of study.

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There shall be no cost levied to the student with respect to the lodgement of a notice of grievance.

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Students shall not be victimised or discriminated against, irrespective of the nature or severity of the grievance.

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Students shall have the right to be accompanied and assisted by a third party if they so wish. In these guidelines, the following lodgement guidelines apply:-

A formal notice of grievance shall be:

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1.posted to The Registrar, ACCS, PO Box 1101, Burwood North NSW 2134,
2.email to the Registrar, registrar@ccs.edu.au or
3.lodged in person with the Receptionist, ACCS, Level 2 29 George St, Burwood NSW 2134.

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A formal review of an investigation shall be:

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1.posted to The Principal, ACCS, PO Box 1101, Burwood NSW 2134 or
2.lodged in person with the Receptionist, ACCS, ACCS, Level 2 29 George St, Burwood NSW 2134

A request for an external review of a decision will be forwarded to

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Bridge Mediation, Suite 803, 61 Lavender Street Milsons Point NSW 2061 In these guidelines:

• Victimise means to act or omit to act towards a person in a way which is intended to cause disadvantage to that person because they have made a complaint, or may make a complaint, or may be or are subject of a complaint.
• Registrar means the person usually occupying that position or, in his/her absence, the person nominated by the Principal to fulfil that role.
• Principal means the person usually occupying that position or, in his/her absence, the person nominated by the Principal to fulfil that role.
• Grading Appeals Committee means three members of the Faculty Executive not already involved in the matter under review.
• Faculty Head means the head of a particular Faculty of study, e.g. Theology.
• Faculty Executive means the formal academic body referred to in the College’s academic governance, comprising the Principal, Academic Dean, Faculty Heads and Registrar.
• Confirmed Subject Lecturer means the lecturer who has primary responsibility for teaching a class.

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Publication of Grievance Handling Procedures:

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Students and Intending Students:

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In order to adequately inform students and intending students, the College’s Grievance Handling Procedures are published on the ACCS website https://www.ccs.edu.au.

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Training with respect to Grievance Handling Procedures:

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New Faculty or Staff Appointments:

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All new appointments to the Faculty and administration team of the College are formally inducted into all relevant aspects of College life. New appointees will be provided with a copy of the Grievance Handling Procedures and instructed in their operation.

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Faculty and Confirmed Subject Lecturers:

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In order to adequately inform Staff, Faculty and confirmed lecturers, the College’s Grievance Handling Procedures will be published on the ACCS website and referred to in the ACCS “Lecturer Handbook”. This handbook is regularly reviewed and updated and each faculty member and confirmed lecturer is provided with their own copy. Faculty and confirmed lecturers are also required to attend a Professional Development seminar during each semester to ensure that all academic procedural and policy matters are fully understood. Policy and procedural matters are also included as agenda items at the College’s Faculty Executive meetings, generally conducted monthly during semesters.

Administration staff:

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Administration staff will be required to attend an administration briefing seminar during each semester at which aspects of the College’s administration procedures and policies will be discussed. The interface between academic and administration procedures and policies will also be discussed and particular instruction will be given with respect to the requirements of the College’s Grievance Handling Procedures. Action will be taken to ensure that each staff member has access to the grievance procedures and understands them.

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Access to Grievance Handling Procedures:

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ACCS offers courses at its Miranda campus. Students have a right to access the Grievance Handling Procedures for academic and non-academic matters without disadvantage, regardless of the nature of the grievance.

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The College acknowledges it has an obligation to ensure that students are not disadvantaged by the procedures required in the grievance investigation and resolution process.

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Therefore, students or intending students may request any, or all, of the following additional services:

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• provision of a complete copy of the Grievance Handling Procedures, posted by regular mail services or emailed to them, if they are not already in possession of a copy and the URL at which the procedures are published;
• reply paid envelope(s) to minimise the cost of lodging notices of grievance, requests for a formal review of an investigation or the submission of information to be considered in the context of the review;
• a personal meeting arranged at the Miranda campus or at another mutually agreed location; or
• telephone calls or conference arrangements initiated by the College to facilitate information gathering, in lieu of a personal attendance at a meeting.

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Records of Grievances – keeping and access:

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Records of grievances will be treated as confidential. Therefore:

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• Records of grievances under investigation will be compiled in individual, specially endorsed “Confidential Folders”, held in the custody of the Registrar and accessed by him/her only, or issued to the Internal Review Officer(s) as required for the purpose of conducting the internal review investigation.
• Records of grievances notified in writing, investigated and finalised will be placed in a sealed envelope, endorsed “CONFIDENTIAL” and “TO BE OPENED BY REGISTRAR ONLY”. Such sealed records will be kept in the student or intending student’s file for at least five years.

Students who wish to access any records relating to personal grievances are required to notify the Registrar and arrange an appointment to view them. Students will be provided with access to any records relating to personal grievances, but the following limitations would apply:

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• students’ access to their records would be supervised, that is, the Registrar would generally be present while the record is being viewed.
• students may request, and be supplied with, photocopies of any documents in their personal grievance records;
• students would not be permitted to remove any documents from their personal grievance records; however,
• students may request that incorrect or out of date information in their personal grievance records be removed or updated. The Registrar shall be responsible for taking this action.
• students who are in dispute with the Registrar over a request to remove or update a personal grievance record shall have the right to request an internal review, and shall have the further right to request an external review, if desired.

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Student Input into Grievance Handling Procedures:

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Students are encouraged to provide formal input and feedback into the College’s Grievance Handling Procedures. Such input is particularly welcome and encouraged by students who have utilised and experienced the College’s grievance handling process.

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Students should address their input or feedback to the Registrar in writing. This can be done at any time during the year.

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The Registrar will table student input or feedback at the subsequent Faculty Executive Meeting. The Faculty Executive may:

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• Review the input or feedback itself and make a determination on any action required; or
• Refer discussion and evaluation of the input or feedback to a committee.

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The Registrar will inform the student of the decision taken by the Faculty Executive and advise the student that the final outcome in relation to the input or feedback provided will be provided in writing, if requested.

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The final outcome of this review of student input or feedback will be tabled at the Faculty Executive Meeting subsequent to a final outcome being made.

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Dispute notification: assessment tasks:

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Where a grievance relates to a particular assessment task (whether the conduct of the task or mark awarded for the task) within a subject the matter should be raised verbally in the first instance with the lecturer or person coordinating that particular subject as identified on the subject worksheet. If the issue cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the student immediately, he/she is required to lodge a formal notice of grievance, in writing, addressed to the Registrar. The basis for the dispute should be clearly stated.

The Registrar will determine whether the grievance involves:

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a.the conduct of an assessment task,
b.the grading of an assessment task or
c.a curriculum or student progress issue.

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Each issue will be dealt with according to the process appended.

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a.Dispute relating to conduct of assessment task:

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Where the matter refers to the conduct of the assessment task, the Registrar will advise the Faculty Head who will ask the lecturer or assessor to provide details of the conditions and conduct of the task. The process of investigation will generally be conducted within forty five (45) days.

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If after examination, the College protocols are determined to have been correctly followed, the Registrar and Faculty Head will advise the student that:

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• there is no matter to be resolved; and
• the review process is available.

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If, after examination, the College protocols are determined to have not been correctly followed, the Registrar and Faculty Head will decide on a course of action. Such course of action may include:

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• allowing the student to attempt the assessment task again;
• requesting that the task be reassessed (by another marker – see below); or
• removing the task from that student’s requirements, provided that the relevant competencies or outcomes can otherwise be demonstrated.

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The Registrar will, within the same forty five (45) day period, prepare a formal report, place a signed copy of the report in the personal file of the student and write a formal letter to the student advising:

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• the outcome of the investigation;
• a recommendation to resolve the grievance;
• the internal review process available; and
• that the actions taken to investigate the matter, and the reason(s) and an explanation of the decision taken as part of the procedures will be provided in writing, if requested.

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Internal review process

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If, after a formal investigation by the Registrar and Faculty Head, a student is still aggrieved, a formal review of the investigation and recommendation to resolve the grievance may be requested by the student, in writing, within twenty eight (28) days of the receipt of the formal recommendation. The request for a review must be addressed to the Principal (the Review Officer) and must specify the reasons for making the request.

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Upon receipt of a request for an internal investigation of a grievance which remains unresolved, the Principal shall acknowledge in writing, receipt of the request for an internal investigation and inform the student of the following information:

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• who will be responsible for conducting the investigation;
• that he/she has the right to a personal meeting to present his/her case (verbally and/or in writing) and the name, address and telephone number of the person to contact if a personal meeting is required;
• that he/she has the right to submit addition information in writing, should a personal meeting not be desired; and the name and address of the person to whom the additional information should be submitted;
• the timeframe during which the internal investigation will be conducted, generally within 45 days of receiving the request for an investigation

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The Principal may conduct the review personally, or request the Grading Appeals Committee to conduct the review. When the Principal or the Grading Appeals Committee makes a decision, a formal letter will be sent to the student advising:

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• the outcome of the investigations;
• a recommendation to resolve the grievance;
• the external review process available; and
• that the actions taken to investigate the matter, and the reason(s) and an explanation of the decision taken as part of the procedures will be provided in writing, if requested.

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The Principal or Grading Appeals Committee may confirm the decision of the Registrar and Faculty Head, vary the decision, or set aside the decision and substitute a new recommendation.

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External review process:

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If the Principal or Grading Appeals Committee advises that the original decision has been upheld, varied, or set aside in favour of a new decision, the student must be advised that he/she has the right to request a further external review and the procedure to be adopted. Details of the appeal authority are provided at the end of this document.

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b.Dispute relating to the grading of an assessment task:

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Where a grievance relates to the grading of the assessment task, the Registrar will request that the student furnish an unchanged and unmarked copy of the original material submitted, along with a statement specifying the reasons for making the request.

The Registrar will then advise the Faculty Head that a remark is required, and determine, in consultation with the Faculty Head, who should be asked to reassess the task. The process of investigation will generally be conducted within forty five (45) days. In appointing a second marker, the following selection conventions are applied:

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1.Where the Faculty Head is the initial marker, the Registrar will consult with the Principal (or another person acting for the time as deputy to the Principal, or in any other case another Faculty Head) to determine who should be asked to reassess the task.
2.Where the Principal is the initial marker, the Registrar will consult with the relevant Faculty Head or in his/her absence another Faculty Head or deputy competent to advise in that subject area.
3.Where a Senior Lecturer, Lecturer or Sessional Lecturer is the initial marker, the Registrar will consult with the relevant Faculty Head or in his/her absence another Faculty Head or deputy competent to advise in that subject area.

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The Registrar will provide the nominated second marker with the unmarked copy of the task, and advise the second marker that no consultation should occur on this matter with the original marker. The re-graded mark becomes the recorded grade. When the re- graded mark becomes available, the Registrar will write a formal letter to the student advising:

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• the re-graded mark;
• the review process available;
• that the actions taken to investigate the matter, and the reason(s) and an explanation of the decision taken as part of the procedures will be provided in writing, if requested.

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Internal review process

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If, after the re-marking of an assessment task, a student is still aggrieved, a formal review of the re-marking may be requested by the student, in writing, within twenty eight (28) days of the receipt of the re-graded mark. The request for a review must be addressed to the Principal (the Review Officer) and must specify the reasons for making the request.

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Upon receipt of a request for an internal investigation of a grievance which remains unresolved, the Principal shall acknowledge in writing, receipt of the request for an internal investigation and inform the student of the following information:

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• who will be responsible for conducting the investigation;
• that he/she has the right to a personal meeting to present his/her case (verbally and/or in writing) and the name, address and telephone number of the person to contact if a personal meeting is required;
• that he/she has the right to submit addition information in writing, should a personal meeting not be desired; and the name and address of the person to whom the additional information should be submitted;
• the timeframe during which the internal investigation will be conducted, generally within 45 days of receiving the request for an investigation

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The Principal may conduct the review personally, or request the Grading Appeals Committee to conduct the review. When the Principal or the Grading Appeals Committee makes a decision, a formal letter will be sent to the student advising:

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• the outcome of the investigations;
• a recommendation to resolve the grievance;
• the external review process available; and
• that the actions taken to investigate the matter, and the reason(s) and an explanation of the decision taken as part of the procedures will be provided in writing, if requested.

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The Principal or Grading Appeals Committee may confirm the decision of the Registrar and Faculty Head, vary the decision, or set aside the decision and substitute a new recommendation.

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External review process:

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If the Principal or Grading Appeals Committee advises that the original decision has been upheld, varied, or set aside in favour of a new decision, the student must be advised that a further external review may be requested and the procedure to be adopted. Details of the appeal authority are provided at the end of this document.

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Dispute notification: curriculum and/or student progress:

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Where a grievance relates to curriculum and/or student progress, the matter should be raised verbally in the first instance with the Registrar.

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If the issue cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the student immediately, he/she is required to lodge a formal notice of grievance in writing, addressed to the Registrar. The basis for the grievance should be clearly stated. The Registrar will immediately refer the matter to the Faculty Head for investigation and a decision. The process of investigation will generally be conducted within forty five (45) days.

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When the Faculty Head makes a decision, a formal letter will be sent to the student advising:

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• the outcome of the investigations;
• a recommendation to resolve the grievance;
• the external review process available; and
• that the actions taken to investigate the matter, and the reason(s) and an explanation of the decision taken as part of the procedures will be provided in writing, if requested.

Internal review process:

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If, after a formal investigation by the Faculty Head a student is still aggrieved, a formal review of the investigation and recommendation to resolve the grievance may be requested by the student, in writing, within twenty eight days of the receipt of the formal recommendation. The request for a review must be addressed to the Principal (the Review Officer) and must specify the reasons for making the request.

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Upon receipt of a request for an internal investigation of a grievance which remains unresolved, the Principal shall acknowledge in writing, receipt of the request for an internal investigation and inform the student of the following information:

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• who will be responsible for conducting the investigation;
• that he/she has the right to a personal meeting to present his/her case (verbally and/or in writing) and the name, address and telephone number of the person to contact if a personal meeting is required;
• that he/she has the right to submit additional information in writing, should a personal meeting not be desired; and the name and address of the person to whom the additional information should be submitted;
• the timeframe during which the internal investigation will be conducted, generally within 45 days of receiving the request for an investigation

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The Principal will refer the matter to the Faculty Executive for investigation and a decision. When the Faculty Executive makes a decision, a formal letter will be sent to the student advising:

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• the outcome of the investigations;
• a recommendation to resolve the grievance;
• the external review process available; and
• that the actions taken to investigate the matter, and the reason(s) and an explanation of the decision taken as part of the procedures will be provided in writing, if requested.

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The Faculty Executive may confirm the decision of the Faculty Head, vary the decision, or set aside the decision and substitute a new recommendation.

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External review process:

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If all internal review processes have been exhausted and the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, the student may request for an external review. The external review will use the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services of Bridge Mediation, an independent organisation that specialises in Dispute Resolution. Students should note that there will be costs involved in engaging Bridge Mediation services. The address for Bridge Mediation is:

Bridge Mediation

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Suite 803

61 Lavender Street Milsons Point NSW 2061 Australia

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Ph: 0419 294 277

info@bridgemediation.com.au http://www.bridgemediation.com.au/

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The outcome resulting from this external review will be forwarded by Bridge Mediation to the Registrar who will action the recommendation within 45 days.

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Alternatively, the student may contact Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) at the following address:

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Street Address

Administrative Appeals Tribunal Level 6

83 Clarence St

Sydney NSW 2000

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Ph: 1800 228 333

Email: generalreviews@aat.gov.au

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Postal Address

Administrative Appeals Tribunal GPO Box 9955

Sydney NSW 2001

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Students are asked to check details of the service and any cost involved by call AAT or visit the AAT website at http://www.aat.gov.au. If AAT makes recommendations in relation to a grievance they have reviewed, AAT will forward those recommendations to the College Administrator who will ensure that the recommendations are implemented within 45 days.

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International Students (VET)

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If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of their complaint they have the option to seek outside assistance to pursue the appeal. If the international student is not successful in our internal complaints handling and appeals process, they must be advised within 10

working days about their rights as an overseas student to access an external complaints handling and appeals process at minimal or no cost. They may wish to contact the International Overseas Student Ombudsman as an independent reference. Contact details:

Mail: Commonwealth Ombudsman, GPO Box 442, Canberra ACT 2601 Phone: 1300 362 072

Online:https://forms.business.gov.au/smartforms/servlet/SmartForm.html?formCode=oco- complaint-form

If a VET student remains unhappy with the Internal and External outcome, they may refer the matter to the National Training Complaints Hotline on 13 38 73

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Dispute on Fees and FEE-HELP

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Any grievance or disputes relating to student fees or FEE-HELP will be resolved as per the FEE-HELP review policy which is available on the College website at www.ccs.edu.au

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NON-ACADEMIC MATTERS

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Preamble:

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For the purposes of this procedure, a non-academic matter includes ANY matters, concerns or grievances which do not relate to student progress, assessment, curriculum and awards in a course of study and includes grievances in relation to personal information that the provider holds in relation to the student.

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There shall be no cost levied to the student with respect to the lodgement of a notice of grievance.

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Students and intending students shall not be victimised or discriminated against, irrespective of the nature or severity of the grievance.

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Students or intending students shall have the right to be accompanied and assisted by a third party if they so wish.

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In these guidelines, the following lodgement guidelines apply:

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A formal notice of grievance shall be:

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1.posted to The Registrar, ACCS, PO Box 1101, Burwood North NSW 2134,
2.email to the Registrar, registrar@ccs.edu.au or
3.lodged in person with the Receptionist, ACCS, Level 2 29 George St, Burwood NSW 2134.

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A formal review of an investigation shall be:

1.posted to The Registrar, ACCS, PO Box 1101, Burwood North NSW 2134,
2.email to the Registrar, registrar@ccs.edu.au or
3.lodged in person with the Receptionist, ACCS, Level 2 29 George St, Burwood NSW 2134.

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A request for an external review of a decision will be forwarded to Bridge Mediation, Suite 803, 61 Lavender Street Milsons Point NSW 2061

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In these guidelines, the following definitions apply:

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• Victimise means to act or omit to act towards a person in a way which is intended to cause disadvantage to that person because they have made a complaint, or may make a complaint, or may be or are subject of a complaint.
• Registrar means the person usually occupying that position or, in his/her absence, the person nominated by the Principal to fulfil that role.
• Principal means the person usually occupying that position or, in his/her absence, the person nominated by the Principal to fulfil that role.
• Confirmed Subject Lecturer means the lecturer who has primary responsibility for teaching a class.

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Publication of Grievance Handling Procedures:

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Students and Intending Students

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In order to adequately inform students and intending students, the College’s Grievance Handling Procedures are published on ACCS website (www.ccs.edu.au).

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Training with respect to Grievance Handling Procedures:

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New Faculty or Staff Appointments

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All new appointments to the Faculty and administration team of the College are formally inducted into all relevant aspects of College life. New appointees will be provided with a copy of the Grievance Handling Procedures and instructed in their operation.

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Faculty and Confirmed Subject Lecturers

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In order to adequately inform Faculty and Adjunct lecturers, the College’s Grievance Handling Procedures will be published on the ACCS website and referred to in the ACCS “Lecturer Handbook”. This handbook is regularly reviewed and updated and each faculty member and confirmed lecturer is provided with their own copy. Faculty and confirmed lecturers are also required to attend a training seminar during each semester to ensure that all academic procedural and policy matters are fully understood. Policy and procedural matters are also included as agenda items at the College’s Faculty meetings, generally conducted monthly during semesters.

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Administration staff

Administration staff will be briefed during the College’s regular staff meetings at which aspects of the College’s administration procedures and policies will be discussed. The interface between academic and administration procedures and policies will also be discussed and particular instruction will be given with respect to the requirements of the College’s Grievance Handling Procedures. Action will be taken to ensure that each staff member has access to a copy of the grievance procedures and understands them.

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Access to Grievance Handling Procedures:

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ACCS offers courses at its Burwood campus. Students have a right to access the Grievance Handling Procedures for academic and non-academic matters without disadvantage, regardless of the nature of the grievance.

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The College acknowledges it has an obligation to ensure that students are not disadvantaged by the procedures required in the grievance investigation and resolution process.

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Therefore, students or intending students may request any, or all, of the following additional services:

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• provision of a complete copy of the Grievance Handling Procedures, posted by regular mail services or emailed to them, if they are not already in possession of a copy and the URL at which the procedures are published;
• reply paid envelope(s) to minimise the cost of lodging notices of grievance, requests for a formal review of an investigation or the submission of information to be considered in the context of the review;
• a personal meeting arranged at the Miranda campus or at another mutually agreed location; or
• telephone calls or conference arrangements initiated by the College to facilitate information gathering, in lieu of a personal attendance at a meeting.

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Records of Grievances – keeping and access:

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Records of grievances will be treated as confidential. Therefore:

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• Records of grievances under investigation will be compiled in individual, specially endorsed “Confidential Folders”, held in the custody of the Office Administrator and accessed by him/her only, or issued to the Internal Review Officer(s) as required for the purpose of conducting the internal review investigation.
• Records of grievances notified in writing, investigated and finalised will be placed in a sealed envelope, endorsed “CONFIDENTIAL” and “TO BE OPENED BY THE OCCIFE ADMINISTRATOR ONLY”. Such sealed records will be kept in the student or intending student’s file for at least five years.

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Students who wish to access any records relating to personal grievances are required to notify the Office Administrator and arrange an appointment to view them. Students will be provided

with access to any records relating to personal grievances, but the following limitations would apply:

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• students access to their records would be supervised, that is, the Office Administrator would generally be present while the record is being viewed.
• students may request, and be supplied with, photocopies of any documents in their personal grievance records;
• students would not be permitted to remove any documents from their personal grievance records; however,
• students may request that incorrect or out of date information in their personal grievance records be removed or updated. The Office Administrator shall be responsible for taking this action.
• students who are in dispute with the Office Administrator over a request to remove or update a personal grievance record shall have the right to request an internal review, and shall also have the right to request an external review, if desired.

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Student Input into Grievance Handling Procedures:

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Students are encouraged to provide formal input and feedback into the College’s Grievance Handling Procedures. Such input is particularly welcome and encouraged by students who have utilised and experienced the College’s grievance handling process.

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Students should address their input or feedback to the Office Administrator in writing. This can be done at any time during the year.

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The Office Administrator will table student input or feedback at the subsequent College Staff Meeting and, if necessary, refer the matter to a committee for consideration. The committee shall be comprised of 3 members, relevant to the nature of the grievance but not including a person who is the subject of the grievance.

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The Office Administrator will inform the student of the decision taken by the College Staff Meeting and advise the student that the final outcome in relation to the input or feedback provided will be provided in writing, if requested.

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The final outcome of this review of student input or feedback will be tabled at the College Staff Meeting subsequent to a final outcome being made.

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Dispute notification:

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A student or intending student who is aggrieved about a non-academic matter is required to raise the issue verbally in the first instance with the Office Administrator. If the issue cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the student or intending student immediately, he/she is required to lodge a formal notice of grievance in writing, addressed to the Office Administrator, and specifying the reasons for making the request.

The Office Administrator will undertake a full investigation of the matter and will prepare a formal report within forty five (45) which:

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• describes the grievance and the nature and extent of the investigation undertaken; and
• records a recommendation to resolve the grievance.

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The Office Administrator will also, within the same forty five (45) day period, place a signed copy of the report in the individual confidential folder of the student or intending student (held in the custody of the Office Administrator) and write a formal letter to him/her advising:

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• the outcome of the investigations;
• a recommendation to resolve the grievance;
• the review process available; and
• that the actions taken to investigate the matter, and the reason(s) and an explanation of the decision taken as part of the procedures will be provided, in writing, if requested.

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Internal review process:

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If, after a formal investigation by the Office Administrator a student or intending student is still aggrieved, a formal internal review of the investigation and recommendation to resolve the grievance may be requested by the student or intending student, in writing, within twenty eight

(28)days of the receipt of the formal recommendation. The request for a review must be addressed to the Principal (the Review Officer) and must specify the reasons for making the request.

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Upon receipt of a request for an internal investigation of a grievance which remains unresolved, the Principal shall acknowledge in writing, receipt of the request for an internal investigation and inform the student or intending student of the following information:

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• who will be responsible for conducting the investigation;
• that he/she has the right to a personal meeting to present his/her case (verbally and/or in writing) and the name, address and telephone number of the person to contact if a personal meeting is required;
• that he/she has the right to submit addition information in writing, should a personal meeting not be desired; and the name and address of the person to whom the additional information should be submitted;
• the timeframe during which the internal investigation will be conducted, generally within 45 days of receiving the request for an investigation

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The Principal may conduct the investigation personally, or nominate an officer or officers of the College not previously involved in the matter to conduct the investigation. When the Principal or his/her nominee(s) makes a decision, a formal letter will be sent to the student or intending student advising:

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• the outcome of the investigations;
• a recommendation to resolve the grievance;
• the external review process available; and
• that the actions taken to investigate the matter, and the reason(s) and an explanation of the decision taken as part of the procedures will be provided in writing, if requested. The reviewing officer(s) may confirm the decision of the Office Administrator, vary the decision, or set aside the decision and substitute a new recommendation.

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External review process:

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If all internal review processes have been exhausted and the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, the student may request for an external review. The external review will use the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services of Bridge Mediation, an independent organisation that specialises in Dispute Resolution. Students should note that there will be costs involved in engaging Bridge Mediation services. The address for Bridge Mediation is:

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Bridge Mediation

Level 14, 201 Miller Street North Sydney NSW 2060

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Ph: 1300 96 39 77

info@bridgemediation.com.au http://www.bridgemediation.com.au/

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The outcome resulting from this external review will be forwarded by Bridge Mediation to the Office Administrator who will action the recommendation within 45 days.

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Alternatively, the student may contact Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) at the following address:

.

Street Address

Administrative Appeals Tribunal Level 6

83 Clarence St

Sydney NSW 2000

.

Ph: 1800 228 333

Email: generalreviews@aat.gov.au

.

Postal Address

Administrative Appeals Tribunal GPO Box 9955

Sydney NSW 2001

.

Students are asked to check details of the service and any cost involved by call AAT or visit the AAT website at http://www.aat.gov.au. If AAT makes recommendations in relation to a grievance

they have reviewed, AAT will forward those recommendations to the College Administrator who will ensure that the recommendations are implemented within 45 days.

.

.

The procedures set out in this document do not replace or modify procedures or any other responsibilities which may arise under other policies or under statute or any other law.

.

RESPONSIBILITY: Registrar/Office Administrator

.

ASSOCIATED POLICIES: None

.

Policy Version

Initial Adoption

This revision

Approved by

Next revision

3.7

25 June 2004

27 July 2017

Board

1 August 2020