Student complaints

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Student complaints

RMIT University is committed to ensuring that all students have a positive relationship with the university and its staff members. Learn about RMIT's complaint policy and the steps to resolve issues.

With this in mind, the university:

  • recognises student and staff right to complain without recrimination
  • aims to ensure that complaints are resolved quickly and fairly.

RMIT has a policy and a process in place to ensure your complaint is resolved as quickly and as fairly as possible.

Before you lodge a complaint

Check whether the Student and Student-Related Complaints Policy covers your issue and what other options are available to resolve your concern.

Resolution

The steps you should take to ensure your complaint is resolved as quickly and as fairly as possible is outlined in How to submit a complaint.

Frequently asked questions

Find the answers to frequently asked questions and other useful information.

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  • RMIT is supportive of students and staff who raise concerns and complaints. We acknowledge the value of feedback for continuous improvement of the student and staff experience.
  • RMIT will respond to all complaints promptly and sensitively.
  • RMIT will manage complaints in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness to ensure fair, consistent and reasonable outcomes, including that:

               - each party to a complaint has the right to be heard and to respond

               - all submissions and evidence will be impartially considered

               - the Case Manager will not be unduly influenced by any party.

  • RMIT’s preferred resolutions are, wherever possible, informal and non-adversarial, with outcomes that are fair and reasonable to all the parties involved.
  • RMIT expects each party of a complaint to:

                - act in good faith

                - recognise the rights of the other party

                - maintain respect for the other party

                - focus on resolution.

If you lodge a formal complaint online via Student Connect, you can normally expect to receive:

  • written acknowledgement within three working days of submission 
  • a formal written complaint outcome within 20 working days of receipt of all relevant information from the complainant (please note that complex cases are likely to take longer)
  • regular updates on the progression of the investigation where the above timeframe cannot be met
  • prompt written notification, including reasons, where the complaint is expected to take more than 60 calendar days to resolve.

It will assist in the timely resolution of your complaint if you provide the following information when you lodge your complaint:

  • details of the steps you have taken to try and resolve your complaint
  • a clear explanation of the outcome you are seeking
  • copies of all relevant supporting documentation and evidence.

RMIT is committed to ensuring you will not be unfairly disadvantaged or face discrimination as a result of lodging a complaint. However, if you do wish to remain anonymous, it is possible to lodge an anonymous complaint.

There are two kinds of anonymous complaints:

  • where a complainant doesn’t disclose their identity when submitting a complaint
  • where a current, former or prospective student identifies themselves when submitting a complaint but asks to have their identity withheld in the resolution of the complaint.

Entirely anonymous complaints are normally only investigated where there is enough information to enable an investigation to occur and they relate to:

  • serious matters involving a member of the University community, or possible risk to safety, property or the University’s reputation
  • any incident that Government legislation requires the University to report.

Where a complainant identifies themselves but asks to have their identity withheld, the Case Manager determines whether it is possible to resolve the complaint in accordance with the principles of fairness and natural justice without revealing the identity of the complainant. If it is determined it is not possible to investigate or resolve the complaint without revealing your identity, this will be discussed with you to ascertain if you are willing for your identity to be disclosed.

RMIT complies any information collected as part of a student complaint will be kept in a confidential and secure location, and will not comprise part of the student’s academic file.