Any student (prospective or former student/external candidate) can lodge a formal complaint, appeal or objection. The Complaints Desk is located at Student Services on the 2nd floor of building Vrijhof.
Maybe you have already discussed the matter without success with the concerning body or person before you submitted your complaint at the Complaints Desk. Or perhaps you might find this a difficult step to make your own. Or maybe you have questions about the procedure or want some help in drafting a complaint. In that case, it is well-advised to discuss the matter with a confidential advisor. Students can consult a student counsellor.
Types of complaints
The Complaints Desk deals with education/student-related matters. It does therefore not include issues such as broken coffee machines or access cards, but for example:
- Complaints on how UT or its employees or (administrative) bodies behaved in a specific situation. These complaints will be handled by the Complaints Committee;
- Objections to decrees issued by UT administrative bodies (e.g. a decree relating to a decision by the Executive Board to allocate a sum for graduation support with which the student does not agree). These objections will be handled by the Arbitration Committee;
- Objections to decrees by or on behalf of the Executive Board taken in the framework of the UT Enrolment Regulation. These objections will also be handled by the Arbitration Committee;
- Decisions by the Examination Board and examiners with which the student does not agree. The Board of Appeal for Examinations is responsible for the assessment.
How to lodge a complaint?
If you wish to lodge a complaint, objection or appeal, you must do so digitally. Please sign your letter and send it to studentservices@utwente.nl. The letter needs to contain your name, address, student number, phone number and email address. Please attach relevant documents as well. Eventually, it is possible to print the letter and hand it in at the Student Services Desk. The document needs to be provided as a PDF file.
What next?
The Complaints Desk will send you a confirmation of receipt of the complaint within a few days. Subsequently, your letter will be looked at in more detail and you will be informed how your complaint, objection or appeal is to be dealt with. In most cases, this will mean being dealt with by the Board of Appeal for Examinations, the Arbitration Committee or the Complaints Committee.
Can I appeal against the decision?
Certain decisions on objections taken by the Executive Board offer students the option to appeal to the Raad van State (page in Dutch only). Where applicable, this option is indicated in the decision by the Executive Board. For more information, please visit the website of Gedragscode Hoger Onderwijs for the Code of Conduct International Student in Dutch Higher Education. Additionally, there are videos available with general information about the Code of Conduct and the complaint procedure.
Contact
The Complaints Desk is located at Student Services on the 2nd floor of building Vrijhof.
More information on all kinds of UT regulations can be found in the University of Twente Students' Charter.