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Applicant Feedback and Complaint Procedures

General principles

Brunel University is committed to providing high quality, fair and transparent admissions procedures for all its applicants. However, it is recognised that there may be occasions when applicants will want to understand why their application has been rejected, or believe that they have cause for complaint.  Applicants have no right of appeal against a decision not to offer them a place at the University.

In this context, feedback is defined as the communication from the University to an applicant, on request from the applicant, who has been unsuccessful in gaining an offer of a place.  A complaint is defined as an expression of dissatisfaction either about the way in which an application has been handled or the outcome of the selection process. An appeal is defined as a request for a formal review of the outcome of an admissions decision.

A. Feedback

1. Unsuccessful applicants will receive a written communication stating the reason why their application has been rejected. This will be sent at the same time as the decision is made not to offer a place.
2. The University has made great efforts to provide clear minimum entry requirements for all its courses.  These can be found in the Prospectus (paper and online), on Brunel’s web site and in UCAS Entry Profiles. The University expects applicants to have read the available information on entry requirements and assessment criteria before requesting further feedback, as in many cases this will explain why their application has been unsuccessful.
3. Requests for further, individual feedback should be sent to the appropriate Admissions Office: Registry for Home/EU applicants and Brunel International for international applicants. Requests will be addressed as soon as workload allows, which may be after the peak admissions processing time. The University will only correspond about a decision with the candidate.
4. In some cases, lack of success is due to the level of competition for places rather than any specific weakness in an application, and consequently, we will not be able to advise applicants on how to strengthen any subsequent application.  The exceptions are if an applicant did not have, for example, a crucial element such as work experience for the professional courses, or if they did not meet the minimum academic entry requirements.
5. In all cases, it will be made clear to the applicant that, even if another application will be considered, there is no guarantee that an offer will be made. Previous applications are not kept for reference.  There will be no discrimination against any applicant who requests feedback.
6. Requests for feedback on a particular applicant from a third party will receive a response indicating general levels of competition and admissions criteria for the course applied for, but information about the individual will not be divulged.  
7. Further correspondence will not be entered into, and the decision will not be reviewed.  If the applicant feels the admissions process has not been followed correctly, they must use the complaints procedure.
   

B. Complaints

1. Applicants have no right of appeal against a decision not to offer them a place at the University. Provided that the decision can be shown to have been reached fairly and in accordance with the University’s published selection criteria, the original decision will not be overturned. However, should an applicant believe that the University’s admissions principles and procedures have been inconsistently or incorrectly applied, these complaints procedures provide a mechanism for objective review for both undergraduate and postgraduate applicants.
2. Complaints may be made by individual applicants.  They may not be made by a representative, a parent, a school or any other third party.
3. This procedure sets out how applicants may seek to have a complaint addressed. It should be recognised that the vast majority of applicant complaints can be handled fairly, amicably, and to the satisfaction of all concerned without recourse to the formal complaints procedure.
4. In the first instance, applicants with a complaint should raise it informally with the relevant member of staff in the relevant Admissions Office.
5. If this course of action proves unsatisfactory, then the formal complaints procedure should be followed (see below).
6. The University will seek to ensure that all complaints are treated seriously and constructively. It will also seek to ensure that complaints are dealt with promptly, with fairness and consistency and with due regard to the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy. If a complaint is upheld, the University will take such action or provide such remedy as may be appropriate and will do so promptly. If a complaint is not upheld, the reasons for the decision will be communicated to the applicant.
7. There will be no discrimination against any applicant who makes a complaint.
8. Applicants lodging a complaint and those against whom complaints are made may expect complaints to be dealt with confidentially and with respect for their privacy. However, it may be necessary to disclose information to others in order to deal with the complaint and in these circumstances the parties concerned will be informed of such disclosure.
9. Anonymous complaints will not be dealt with under this procedure. Staff who receive anonymous complaints will be expected to use their discretion and judgement as to how to handle such complaints.
10. The Complaints Procedure provides for both informal and formal stages in the handling of a complaint. At each stage of the process, the person to whom the complaint has been referred shall, if it is upheld, wholly or in part, apply such remedies as are within her/his powers. If s/he considers that the remedy is outside her/his powers, s/he shall refer the matter to the appropriate authority. If s/he feels unable to fulfil the requirements of the Complaints Procedure objectively because of prior involvement in the case, s/he will refer the matter to a more senior colleague.
11. The Senior Assistant Registrar (Admissions) will monitor, on an annual basis, formal complaints which have been referred to her, and will be responsible for implementing, or recommending to the Recruitment and Admissions Committee, changes to systems or procedures suggested by the nature and pattern of the complaints received. Such records will contain: name (anonymised), age, gender and ethnicity (if known) of complainant, programme of study applied for, summary of complaint and summary of outcome. The outcome of such monitoring may also inform other processes or activities such as arrangements for interview or standard correspondence with applicants.

Formal complaints procedure

1. If a complaint has not been resolved satisfactorily on an informal basis, the applicant should write to the Senior Assistant Registrar (Admissions) outlining the nature and details of his/her complaint.
2. The complaint must normally be made within 14 days of the actions (or lack of actions) that prompted the complaint. The Senior  Assistant Registrar (Admissions) will investigate the complaint in consultation with the relevant admissions tutors / administrators and shall respond to the complaint normally within ten working days of a complaint being made and shall retain a record of the correspondence and any action taken. If it proves impossible to respond fully within ten working days, the complainant shall be informed of the timescale for the receipt of a full response.
3. If the complaint is about non-selection, the Senior Assistant Registrar (Admissions) must satisfy herself that the application was considered fairly and that the decision did comply with the selection policy. Provided that s/he is satisfied that this is the case, a response explaining the context of the decision (e.g., demand for places) and the selection policy that has been applied is acceptable at this stage. The response should also draw the applicant’s attention to the Appeal Procedure, in case s/he wishes to pursue the matter further.

C. Appeal

1. If the applicant is dissatisfied with the response s/he receives from the Senior Assistant Registrar (Admissions), s/he should submit, within ten working days of receiving the response, a written appeal to the Head of Registry. This should set out briefly: the nature of the complaint; the informal steps already taken (if any); details of the response received; and a statement as to why the applicant remains dissatisfied and, without prejudice to any formal remedy which might be determined, the remedy which s/he is seeking. S/he shall investigate the complaint and shall submit an interim written response to the complainant, normally within fifteen working days of the receipt of the complaint. If it should prove impossible to respond fully within fifteen working days, the applicant shall be informed in writing of the timescale for the receipt of a full response.
2. The Head of Registry’s decision following completion of this process will be considered as final.