Handbook

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Complaints

Student Complaints

La Trobe University is committed to an effective complaints handling mechanism for students in line with its policy of creating a harmonious and productive study environment. Information on student complaints will provide feedback to the University in order to improve the quality of service.

The University takes all complaints seriously as it constantly seeks ways to improve the experience of its students.

We are interested in listening to all complaints no matter how small they might seem. Whether you would like to make an informal or formal complaint, we can guide you through the process as well as help you understand the policies and guidelines of La Trobe’s complaints handling policy and procedures.

At  La Trobe, we encourage you to first take your complaint to the area/faculty or person that you have the complaint about, as an informal discussion might easily resolve the issue.  If you are unsure as to where to go, or would like to sound out your concerns beforehand, the Student Complaints Office is available to assist.  Contact details are as follows:

To find out more about the Student Complaints Office, the Student Complaints Policy, and resolution avenues please go to www.latrobe.edu.au/students/complaints.
 

University Ombudsman

If a complaint regarding an academic or an administrative matter has been managed under the Student Complaints Policy, and the decision or action has not been resolved through the relevant faculty, school or administrative department, advice may be sought from:

Information on all La Trobe University Policies and Procedures can be found at www.latrobe.edu.au/policy/

Victorian Ombudsman

If the complaint or grievance is not resolved through the University Ombudsman, you may lodge a complaint with the Victorian Ombudsman: www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au. If you have not followed the steps laid down in the relevant University procedures, the Victorian Ombudsman may ask you to do so before accepting your complaint. Contact:

Whistleblowers’ Protection Act

The Whistleblowers’ Protection Act is designed to encourage the disclosure of improper conduct by public officers and public bodies including universities. It provides for the investigation of disclosures of improper conduct and for the protection of individuals who make disclosures. For further information go to www.latrobe.edu.au/policy/ and search for Whistleblowers.

Freedom of Information

The Victorian Freedom of Information (FOI) Act extends as far as possible the right of the community to access information in the possession of La Trobe University by:

• making available to the public information about the operations of the University; and
• creating a general right of access to information.

The types of information you can request from La Trobe University are:

• documents created by the University;
• documents supplied to the University by an external organisation or individual;
• documents relating to your own personal affairs, regardless of the age of the documents; and
• documents of a non-personal nature which are not older than 5 July 1978.

However, exemptions may apply to documents where the information is not required to be released, whether it is the whole document or part of the document.

The University makes special provision for students to inspect their own files and examination papers. These may be examined under supervision and a request need not be made under the provisions of the FOI Act. In the case of student files, the appropriate Student Administration Office should be contacted, while each faculty office can assist with access to examination scripts. Students should note that examination scripts are only available for six months from the date of the assessment. Applications for access to evaluation reports of student placements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

See http://www.latrobe.edu.au/statements/foi for more information regarding FOI requests.