Student Information
Student Complaints and Appeals
Complaints
Students can make a complaint if they are not satisfied with any aspect of MIHE operations or decisions such as cancelling student enrolment, assessment marking, performance of lectures and tutors, infrastructure performance, campus and all other actions that impacts students’ academic and non-academic life.
Types of complaints:
Informal Complaint
MIHE encourages all its students to raise an informal complaint as the first step if they are not happy with any of MIHE’s actions. This gives MIHE a chance to understand and address students’ complaints informally. All informal complaints are dealt with in good faith.
How and to who make an informal complaint?
Students can make an informal complaint in any suitable means like phone call, email or message through MIHE’s website. Students can make an informal complaint to their lectures, tutors, Student Wellbeing and Support Officer, administration staff, receptionist, student representative or any other MIHE staff member. All MIHE’s staff members are trained to understand and address students’ informal complaints professionally and in good faith.
How MIHE address student’s informal complaint?
MIHE staff who are not involved in the complaint may support and facilitate an informal resolution if requested by the student, or at their own initiative.
If you are not happy with the decision made by MIHE to resolve your informal complaint?
Students who are not satisfied with a decision can make a formal complaint (information on making a formal complaint is given below. Before making a formal complaint, please refer to MIHE’s Student Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedure or may choose to exercise their rights under relevant federal or state laws.
Please note that above information must be read in conjunction with MIHE Student Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedure.
Formal Complaint
MIHE encourages all its students to make an informal complaint before making a formal complaint. However, it is a student’s right to choose to make a formal complaint directly. MIHE wants reassure all students and all other involved parties that making a formal complaint will not affect all of their other rights and they will not be victimised or treated adversely as a result of their involvement in the complaints resolution process.
How and to who make a formal complaint?
A formal complaint must be made in writing by completing and submitting a formal complaint form to the Administration Manager or other appropriate officer. The completed complaint form and any supporting information should be emailed to info@mihe.vic.edu.au .Students should provide all supporting information within 10 business days of lodging a formal complaint.
How MIHE address student’s formal complaint?
- MIHE must acknowledge the formal complaint within 5 business days of its receipt.
- Upon receiving the Complaint Form, the details of the complaint will be recorded in the Complaints Register and a MIHE staff member will be assigned to review the complaint depending on the nature of the complaint. The Dean or the Course Director will, assess all academic complaints and the CEO, or delegate, assess all non-academic complaints.
- An initial investigation should commence within 10 business days of receiving the formal complaint.
- The complainant and respondent will be informed of the assessment process in writing and allowed the opportunity to provide further information or statements.
- On conclusion of the assessment, the MIHE staff member responsible for the assessment must provide the proposed resolution in writing to the complainant within 5 business working days of making a decision.
- The outcome of the assessment and proposed resolution must be entered into the Complaints Register.
If you are not happy with the decision made by MIHE to resolve your formal complaint?
If a student is not satisfied with the proposed resolution, they must lodge an internal appeal within 10 business working days of receiving the proposed decision in writing.
Please note that above information must be read in conjunction with MIHE Student Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedure.
Complaints about Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination, Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct?
MIHE is totally committed to support and ensure students’ safety and privacy who wishes to discloses their complaint. Students may wish to disclose and receive support but not proceed with a formal complaint. Students Complaints or grievances about sexual assault and sexual harassment require an especially clear reporting and response pathway that offers students choices about how the information provided by them will be processed and responded to. MIHE’s policies and procedures will focus on the safety and the support of the students involved, and staff will be specifically trained to receive such disclosures. The student decides whether an incident is reported to the police.
For details of the policy and procedures relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual assault and sexual misconduct, refer to the Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination, Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedure.
Appeals and Review
Student have a right to appeal if they are not satisfied with the decision made by MIHE to resolve their formal complaint.
Types of Appeals and Review:
Internal Appeal and Review
If a student lodges an application for an Internal Appeal and Review, the matter will be reviewed by a MIHE staff member at least one level of seniority above the person who conducted the initial review. The reviewer should commence within 10 business days of receiving written notice. The reviewer must inform the parties in writing of the Internal Appeal and Review process and allow them the opportunity to provide additional information or statements.This communication will include the outcome of the Internal Appeal, any resulting actions and the right for lodging an external appeal.The process and outcome of the internal appeal and review and proposed resolution must be entered into the Complaints Register. When a complaint is unresolved or the proposed resolution is not accepted by a party through the internal processes, it may be referred for external appeal.
External Appeal and Review
If a student is not satisfied with the proposed resolution from the internal appeal and review, they can request the matter be dealt with externally. MIHE will provide the contact details of the external appeal avenues on the written notification of the formal complaint outcome. In the event that there is an external process, the outcome will be recorded in the Complaints Register.
External Appeal and Review – International Students
International Students will be able to access the external appeals process through the Overseas Students Ombudsman (OSO) at no cost. Further information on what the OSO will investigate and the process to lodge a complaint with them are available at:
http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/about/overseas-students
Students should be aware that OSO will only investigate matters once MIHE’s Internal Complaints and Appeal process has been exhausted. If the OSO decides to investigate the complaint, MIHE will fully cooperate and provide all required evidence and documents as required by OSO. The OSO cannot provide a resolution, but they may overturn any decisions made by MIHE.
In the event that a decision is overturned by the OSO and the student and MIHE cannot come to an agreed resolution, that matter will be referred to an external mediation service for resolution, normally the Resolution Institute’s Expert Determination service This service is available to students as an avenue for external appeal and review that is independent of MIHE. Complainants wishing to access this need to lodge the matter with the Resolution Institute at www.resolution.institute/resolving-disputes/expert-determination.
MIHE will bear the cost of the Resolution Institute’s Expert Determination service and there will be no cost to the student.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution provided by the Expert Determination from the Resolution Institute, they will be informed of their legal rights under federal and state law. If the complainant wishes to proceed beyond their Resolution Institute’s Expert Determination, they will be advised to seek their own professional legal advice and that any action taken will be at their own cost.
Students can also make a complaint to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). Students enrolled in a higher education course (subject to TEQSA approval) can make a complaint to TEQSA. For more details on what complaints TEQSA will investigate, please see their complaints page: https://www.teqsa.gov.au/complaints
TEQSA contact details are as follows:
- Phone: 1300 739 585
- Website: https://www.teqsa.gov.au/
- Email: enquiries@teqsa.gov.au
