Understand your options

Understand your options

Your options depend on the type of complaint. Not all issues or concerns can be raised as a complaint. To make it simpler for you to identify the options available, see below.

Types of complaint

If you are not sure where to start, choose the option that matches your situation.

  • If appropriate, try raising your issue first with the subject coordinator or your faculty's student experience contact.

    If that conversation does not resolve it, or is not appropriate, you can submit a complaint.

    You can also contact the Safer Community Program for confidential advice and support if you have safety or wellbeing concerns. They can help you understand your options and next steps. You do not have to have a resolution in mind to contact Safer Community — they'll work through your concerns with you at your own pace.

  • If your issue involves a staff member's behaviour or professional conduct, you can seek confidential advice before deciding whether to proceed. Consider speaking with:

    If seeking resolution at the local level is not appropriate, or the issue remains unresolved, you can submit your complaint through the University's complaints process.

    You can also report sexual misconduct through Speak Safely .

  • If your issue is about subject delivery, supervision, or an assessment outcome, try raising it at the local level first with the subject coordinator or your faculty's student experience contact.

    If that conversation does not resolve it, or if raising it at the local level is not appropriate, you can make a complaint.

    Note: If your issue is about a specific academic decision (such as unsatisfactory progress finding, or a grade/mark dispute), a different review process may apply.

    See Specialist pathway complaints.

  • If your issue relates to a service experience or administrative decision, raise it at the service delivery point first — for example, by contacting the relevant team or office directly.

    If the issue is not resolved at the service point, or if this is not appropriate, you can make a complaint through the University's complaints process.

Some complaints require a different pathway and have different timelines. If your issue or concern involves misconduct, harassment, or academic decisions, see Specialist pathway complaints in the navigation menu.

When is making a complaint appropriate?

Making a complaint is appropriate when:

  • you have tried to resolve the issue and it has not been resolved and/or the issue was not adequately addressed
  • raising the issue at the local level is not appropriate given the circumstances
  • the issue involves repeated behaviour, a power imbalance, or a decision you want reviewed

See Make a complaint for next steps.

Related policies that may apply depending on the nature of your issue