At the University of Westminster, we aim to deliver a high-quality experience for our alumni and supporters.
We welcome all feedback and take complaints seriously. If you have a complaint relating to alumni services, or if you wish to complain about an aspect of the University’s provision that you have experienced since you ceased to be a student, the Alumni Complaints Procedure is here to support you.
If your complaint relates to your time at Westminster as a student, please refer to the Student Complaints Procedure.
Complaints will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and there is no automatic right for a complaint to be considered. The Alumni and External Engagement Office reserves the right to withhold complaints for reasons such as but not limited to:
- The University is unable to verify your alumni status, ie academic qualification and association with the University of Westminster.
- The complaint concerns an incident that took place over 90 days ago.
- Your alumni services and benefits have been withdrawn for contravening the Alumni Behavioural Policy.
- You are undergoing, or have undergone, a disciplinary or misconduct procedure during or after University.
- You were excluded whilst at University.
Stage one – informal resolution
Where possible, we will aim for complaints to be resolved locally, quickly and amicably. We recommend, in the first instance, that any concerns are raised at the point the issue has arisen and are raised directly with an appropriate University colleague who has knowledge of the issue.
Where concerns or issues cannot be resolved in this manner, but are still of an informal nature, an email outlining the issue should be sent to the Alumni and External Engagement Office via [email protected]. A member of the Alumni and External Engagement Office will acknowledge the complaint within five working days.
Complaints can only be investigated fully if the complainant provides full disclosure of their identity. We will need your name and contact details, and we will need to know if you have a preferred contact method, ie email, phone or through an online meeting. Anonymous complaints cannot be investigated.
Complaints should include key details such as:
- Who and/or what the complaint is about
- When it took place (it must be no later than 90 days after the incident has happened)
- Evidence to support the complaint
- Your expectations for the outcome of the investigation
A member of the Alumni Relations and External Engagement Office may seek further information from you to clarify the complaint via email, phone or through an online meeting. A member of the Alumni Relations and External Engagement Office may also collect statements and evidence from the parties concerned.
A member of the Alumni Relations and External Engagement Office will investigate your complaint and notify you of the outcome within 15 working days of receipt of your complaint. During periods such as University vacations when parties to the complaint may not be available, this timescale may not be achievable. In such cases, you will be notified of any delay.
Stage two – formal complaint
If your concerns or issues cannot be resolved through the Stage One process, you can raise your concerns through the Stage Two process below.
Please note, completing Stage One of the process is not optional. You will need to provide evidence of undertaking the Stage One informal process as part of your request for a complaint to be considered as a Stage Two formal complaint, or be able to clearly demonstrate why Stage One is not appropriate in your circumstances.
- Complaints must be made in writing to the Head of Alumni and External Engagement via [email protected] within 10 working days of the notification of the Stage One decision. A member of the Alumni and External Engagement Office will acknowledge the complaint within five working days.
- The Alumni Relations Manager or Head of Alumni and External Engagement will escalate your complaint to the Director of Business Engagement and Graduate Futures, normally within 10 working days of receipt of the complaint.
- Where appropriate, the Director of Business Engagement and Graduate Futures will collect additional statements and evidence from the parties concerned. The Director of Business Engagement and Graduate Futures may also seek further information from you to clarify the complaint via email, phone or an online meeting.
- The Director of Business Engagement and Graduate Futures will endeavour to conclude the investigation and notify you of the outcome within 30 working days of receipt of the Stage Two complaint from the Alumni and External Engagement Office. In more complex cases, or during periods such as University vacations when parties to the complaint may not be available, this timescale may not be achievable. In such cases, you will be notified of any delay.
- When the investigation is concluded, the Director of Business Engagement and Graduate Futures will inform you in writing of the outcome of your complaint. This will include a summary of the complaint, an overview of the investigation process and findings, an investigation conclusion, including clear reasons for the decision(s), and any recommendations.
Stage three – appeal against the formal complaint decision
Should you be dissatisfied with the Stage Two outcome of your complaint, you have the right to request the Director of Business Engagement and Graduate Futures to refer the matter for consideration by the University’s Chief Operating Officer, through the Stage Three process below.
Please note, Stage Two of the complaint process must be complete in order to progress to Stage Three. Your request for your complaint to be considered as part of the Stage Three appeal process must be received within 10 working days of the date of notification of the Stage Two outcome.
1. You will need to complete an appeal request with all evidence relating to the grounds for the request. The Chief Operating Officer, or appropriate nominee, will acknowledge receipt of the request, normally within five working days.
Your appeal will only be considered on the following grounds:
- There was a procedural irregularity in the consideration of your Complaint at Stage Two.
- New evidence has come to light which was not previously reasonably available, and this new evidence would have had a significant impact on the Stage Two outcome.
- The Stage Two decision and/or any remedy was/were unreasonable in light of the new evidence
2. The Chief Operating Officer shall notify you in writing of the decision, and the reasons for it, normally within 15 working days. If it is not possible to meet this deadline, you will be informed of the reasons for the delay.