INSCAPE DESIGN COLLEGE

Policy & Procedures for Resolving Student Concerns

R1.0

2009/09/04

Policy

In our Mission Statement, we state that it is our intention ”to facilitate holistic learning to develop each individual to achieve their full potential in society.“

To this end, Inscape seeks to remove obstacles to student success by resolving student concerns, to the satisfaction of all parties concerned.

Procedures

We appreciate it when students bring their concerns to our attention; only if we are aware of it, can we ‘fix’ it.

Adhering to a few key principles will help to satisfactorily resolve concerns:

• It can usually be resolved more easily if it is addressed early,
• Students should raise their issues themselves, or through a class representative, rather than through a third party (like a parent),
• When we approach a problem positively and with the intention of finding a satisfactory solution, they are more likely to be resolved,
• Constructive proposals usually help in achieving satisfactory solutions.

Most concerns fall into one of two categories:

Programme (or course) related

misrepresentation

offerings in prospectus / on website

quality of offerings

Person (staff or students) related:

attitude / personality clashes

performance of duties

misunderstandings / mis-communication

Guidelines for resolutions

To find satisfactory solutions, students should follow these steps:

• Raise the issue straight away. Don’t let it ‘fester’; as time passes, it gets more and more difficult to resolve,
• Deal with your concern or complaint yourself, rather than through another person (like a parent); Inscape is preparing you for the real world where you ‘fight your own battles’,
• As soon as possible after the problem has occurred, approach the person concerned, and put your concern in writing, ie draw up a letter of concern. (See: Guidance for writing up concerns below),
• When addressing your concern, you are more likely to arrive at a satisfactorily solution if you focus on finding a solution, rather than on the person or thing that is to blame for the situation,
• If you are not happy that it has been resolved satisfactorily, submit it to the programme coordinator: logon the Inscape website, click on “Got a concern or a gripe? Talk to us...”,
• If the matter is still not resolved satisfactorily, escalate it to the college principal,
• If the matter cannot be resolved internally, it should be referred to the Department of Education. The DoE will not deal with complaints until all internal procedures have been exhausted.

Guidance for writing up concerns

When putting your concerns in writing, please bear the following in mind:

• The college cannot accept anonymous complaints,
• Don’t make a ‘shopping list of concerns’. The gravity of the matter will become diluted by other issues, and it suggests that that the other issues were not serious enough to be raised when they first occurred. List a maximum of five priority issues,
• Make a record of the matter with as much factual information as possible (eg: give dates, peoples’ names and assignments) because it is easier to resolve substantiated complaint,
• If the complaint is about a lecturer, explain what the lecturer did /did not do. (The college will take action against any person found to victimise any other person because of a complaint that has been lodged),
• Remember that, in crits and performance appraisals, the college attempts to provide affirmation for achievements, and to accompany positive criticism with proposals for improvement. When writing down your concern, we ask you to also recommend constructive, corrective action/s.

The process

• When the staff member/s receives the letter of concern, s/he will try to resolve the issue with the student/s directly. The proposed resolution should be signed and dated by both parties and filed with the letter of concern in the concerns file;
• If the attempted resolution is unsuccessful, the aggrieved party/ies should submit the letter of concern to the programme co-ordinator who will arrange a meeting between all parties concerned and - in the role of arbitrator - attempt to find a satisfactory solution. The proposed solution is written up and signed by all parties, and is filed with the letter of concern in the concerns file;
• In the event that satisfaction cannot be achieved, the complainant/s submit the letter of concern to the college principal who arranges a meeting between all parties concerned and, in the role of arbitrator, attempts to find a satisfactory solution. The proposed solution is written up and signed by all parties, and is filed with the letter of concern in the concerns file;
• The Department of Education will only handle complaints once all internal avenues have been exhausted unsuccessfully.

end

proposed amendments in red

changes since previous release in italics