Procedure Procedure Number Policy Area

Complaints & Grievances Non Academic - General 06.02 STUDENTS

The Actors College of Theatre and Television (ACTT) is committed to providing an effective, efficient, timely, fair and confidential non-academic grievance handling procedure for all Students. We view receipt of a complaint or grievance as an opportunity to improve our ability to improve our ability to meet the needs of our clients. The process of dealing with a formal complaint normally commences within ten days or receiving formal lodgement and supporting information. The purpose of this procedure is to detail the processes involved in the resolution of student complaints and grievances (non-academic). It does not prevent a student from exercising their right to other legal remedies. Non-academic matters include those matters which do not relate to student progress, assessment, course content or awards in a course and include complaints in relation to personal information that the provider holds in relation to the Student. Non-academic grievances tend to arise from events occurring at a provider or from decisions made by a provider. It covers any aspect of a students experience at ACTT, which is not specifically covered by another policy. This policy covers, but is not limited to grievances which may arise as a result of: Enrolment Payment of fees Refunding of fees Student charges Interaction with ACTT staff Provision of ACTT services Provision of ACTT products

The following matters are covered by specific policies and are therefore excluded from the operation of this policy: Sexual Harassment Discrimination

The Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) (the Campus Manager) is responsible for the implementation of this procedure and ensuring that all staff are fully trained in its operation and Students and Complainants are made aware of its availability. All students of the College or those seeking to enrol in a course of study with the College, regardless of the location of the campus of the College at which the grievance has arisen, the students place of residence or the mode in which they study, are entitled to access the grievance procedure set out below either through the: I. II. III. IV. Information for Potential Students brochure provided in the Student Information Pack, and the The Actors College of Theatre and Television Student Handbook provided to students during orientation, and/or the ACTT website: www.actt.edu.au All staff are entitled to access the grievance procedure in ACTT Office Procedures Manual and/or the ACTT Lecturers and Trainers Manual and/or the ACTT website: www.actt.edu.au
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Students seeking to enrol in any course at ACTT have various stages at which a complaint may be addressed. These are detailed below, and are: 1) The Informal Resolution Process 2) The Formal Resolution Process General principles applying to all stages of this grievance procedure which will be adhered to by ACTT are: The Complainant and respondent will have the opportunity to present their case at each stage of the procedure. The Complainant and/or the respondent have the option of being accompanied/assisted by a third person (such as a family member, friend or counsellor) if they so desire. The Complainant and the respondent will not be discriminated against or victimised. At all stages of the process, discussions relating to complaints, grievances and appeals will be recorded in writing. Reasons and a full explanation in writing for decisions and actions taken as part of this procedure will be provided to the Complainant and/or the respondent if requested. Records of all grievances will be kept for a period of five years. These records will be kept strictly confidential and stored in the office of the Academic Manager for a period of three years, after which time they will be moved to secure off- site storage. A Complainant shall have access to this grievance procedure free of charge.

The procedures set out in this document do not replace or modify procedures or any other responsibilities which may arise under other higher education policies or under statute or any other law. 1. Informal Resolution Process 1.1. Where a student believes that they have: 1.1.1. 1.1.2. 1.1.3. 1.1.4. Received inadequate service in regards to the enrolment process Received inadequate service in regards to the handling of their fees and charges Had an unsatisfactory interaction with an ACTT staff member Been provided with a sub-standard product or service, then they are encouraged to deal with the matter immediately, with the staff member most closely connected to the service or activity;

the student may seek an informal resolution to the matter. Students are encouraged initially to attempt to resolve the grievance informally by talking directly to the person concerned, or by seeking the assistance from their lecturer/tutor or Head of Department immediately in order for the matter to be resolved. 1.2. The staff member may take whatever action is deemed appropriate to resolve the matter. Actions available include, but are not limited to: 1.2.1. 1.2.2. 1.2.3. 1.3. 1.4. An apology An undertaking to amend the situation immediately Amending the situation immediately.

If the student is satisfied with this outcome, the member of staff will inform the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) of the complaint and the outcome If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the informal complaint, the staff member will advise the student to communicate with the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) in writing (see Formal Resolution Process below)
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1.5.

Further, where the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the staff member involved (where the staff member is not the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager)), the student will write a report of the complaint and the informal review (including relevant dates) and notify the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) In all cases, the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) will record the complaint/grievances for storage in a separate file (see Records Management below), and will take a record of all complaints and grievance to the next meeting of Senior Management. The confidentiality of all parties shall be maintained in this process. ACTT only seeks the information insofar as it assists them to improve campus culture.

1.6.

2. Formal Resolution Process 2.1 A student may lodge a formal complaint where they are not satisfied: 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 With the outcome of the informal resolution process, or Feels that they are not in a position to make an informal complaint, or Believes that the seriousness of the complaint and/or grievance warrants the formal complaint resolution process, then they must, within fifteen (15) working days of the incident, inform the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) in writing of the nature of the complaint/grievance, including any relevant details, including but not limited to: 2.1.3.1 2.1.3.2 2.1.3.3 2.1.3.4 2.1.3.5 The informal complaint process The outcome/s of the informal complaint process Why the student thinks the resolution offered by the staff member at the time of the incident was not satisfactory Any new and relevant evidence The students signature, family name, given names, student ID, contact telephone number and email address

The stages of the Formal Resolution process are: Stage One Formal grievances should be submitted in writing to the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager), ACTT Sydney campus. They will be assigned a unique number and filed for easy reference during the resolution process. This number will be used on all correspondence relating to the matter. In assessing the grievance the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) will determine its seriousness and what action is required to resolve the matter, including: Meeting with the complainant Meeting with the staff member involved in the incident Meet with other witnesses Gathering other evidence as required Seeking the involvement of police, if the complaint is serious enough

At any stage the complainant and/or respondent have the right to be represented by a third person (such as a family member, friend, counsellor or other professional support person) if they so desire. The Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) can decide that the matter can be resolved at this point in time and take whatever action is deemed relevant to resolve the matter. The Complainant will be notified in writing of the decision within 10 working days of the submission of the request.
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The Complainant will be advised of their right to access stage two of this procedure if they are not satisfied with the outcome of Stage One. In the circumstances where the complaint is against the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager), then the formal grievance should be addressed to the Operations Manager at 41 Holt Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010. Stage Two If the Complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of Stage One they may lodge an appeal in writing with the Chief Executive Officer of ACTT. The Complainants appeal will be determined by ACTTs Chief Executive Officer (the Reviewer). A student may appeal an outcome from a formal resolution process within ten (10) working days of the notification, on one or more of the following grounds: i. That the case has not been heard or decided on its merits ii. That the student is able to provide new evidence iii. The a procedural irregularity has occurred The appeal must be lodged in the format below: Itemise the grounds for appeal in accordance with i, ii and/or iii above Detail and provide relevant evidence relating to the ground(s) for appeal If applicable state the procedural irregularity and as far as possible how this has affected the outcome of the initial review Students signature, date, family name, given names, student ID, address for notices, contact telephone, email address The Reviewer will conduct all necessary consultations with the Complainant and other relevant persons and make a determination of the appeal. The Complainant will be advised in writing of the outcome of their appeal, including the reasons for the decision, within 10 working days of the submission of the appeal. The Complainant will be advised of their right to progress to Stage Three of the grievance procedure if they consider the matter unresolved. Stage Three If the Complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of Stage Two they may, after exhausting all internal processes and within 20 days from the date of appeal outcome, request that the matter be referred to for external review. The complainant must inform the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) in writing of their decision to proceed with an external dispute resolution process. The details for the external bodies and contacts are: Domestic Students Domestic students who wish to lodge an external appeal or complaint against the decision of the internal grievance process can contact New South Wales Community Justice Centres 1800 990 777 www.cjc.nsw.gov.au Victoria Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner 13 22 15 or 1800 136 034 www.sbc.vic.gov.au

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Queensland Department of Justice Dispute Resolution Branch (07) 3109 9035 or 1800 017 288 www.justice.qld.gov.au

ACTT will then request an independent mediator be appointed to resolve the dispute. This process will take no longer than 30 days. ACTT will bear all costs in this mediation process. The complainant may request another person to accompany them during this mediation process. Overseas Students Overseas students who wish to lodge an external appeal or complaint against the decision of the internal grievance process can contact the Overseas Students Ombudsman. For contact details and further information, visit the Overseas Students Ombudsman website see www.oso.gov.au or phone 1300 362 072. This is a free and independent service for overseas students.

If the independent mediator makes recommendations in relation to a grievance they have reviewed, the mediator will forward those recommendations to the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) within 14 days who will ensure that the recommendations are implemented within 30 days of receipt of the mediators report.

Records Management Records of complaints and/or grievances and their outcomes, including applications for review will be kept strictly confidential and filed in a separate file and stored in the office of the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) for a period of three years, after which time they will be removed to secure offsite storage. Records will be kept for a minimum of five (5) years. Parties to the complaint will be allowed supervised access to these records in accordance with relevant legislation. Publication ACTTs Complaints and Grievances Non Academic policies and procedures will be published in Student Handbooks, included in the Information for Prospective Students brochure, in Lecturers and Trainers Handbooks, Office Manuals and on the ACTT website at www.actt.edu.au . The Academic Manager is responsible for the training of Academic Staff in the application of this policy while the Head of ACTT (Campus Manager) is responsible for the training of support staff. Definitions For the purposes of this document the following applies: The Act refers to the Higher Education Support Act 2003 Student/s refers to all persons enrolled and all persons seeking to enrol in a VET unit of study that meets the course requirements under clause 45(1) of Subclause 1A of Schedule 1A of the Act who are, or would, be entitled to VET FEE-HELP assistance under clause 43 of Schedule 1A of the Act. Complainant refers to Students (as defined above) who have lodged a complaint with the Actors College of Theatre and Television Approval This Academic Grievance Procedure was agreed to and ratified by ACTTs Governing Council on July 25, 2012. Procedure Review Date This Procedure will be reviewed in July 2014

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