If a student or a group of students encounters problems related to the courses, the teaching or the examination of the curriculum, how can he/she solve this problem? The flow chart and description can give you an idea of how to tackle commonly occurring problems.
1) Apparently you have a problem that requires addressing. You could discuss it with fellow students and rethink if it is really a problem for which actions have to be taken. If the answer is yes, proceed with the diagram.
2) If at all possible, first discuss it with the person causing it. If you immediately go over his or her head, the person might feel bypassed, possibly deteriorating the situation and affecting his goodwill. Sometimes the university staff is just not aware of experienced problems and will be happy to discuss it with you.
If the matter is delicate and any complaints about the teacher or staff employee could deteriorate the situation, it is unwise to address it personally. In this case, consult either the study association or your study advisor. These could address the problem for you (possibly anonymous) in an objective and constructive manner.
3) Try to be clear in what the problem is and how it can best be solved. If you cannot come to an agreement or solution, proceed with the diagram. Ask around if other students experience the same problems. If there are others having the same problem, take actions together, this will make the overall process more likely to succeed in a proper way.
4) The problem persists and serious attention is needed. Study associations could accompany you in your further steps, or even perform them without you. The study association usually addresses the situation by informing the teacher or staff employee and possibly also the programme director. Also, the study advisor could help you deal with the issue.
5) If after step four the problem still persists, further actions are required. Usually, this means involving the programme director, this could be done with the help of the study association. The programme director could also get the program coordinator involved. If the problem is related to examinations, the next step would be to contact the programme’s examination committee.
6) If step 5) was unsuccessful too, all the possible actions that a programme incorporates have failed. In that case, the issue is to be addressed to the management of the faculty, the dean. This should be considered as a last resort to solve a problem. The dean will now start a dialogue with you, the programme director and all other parties.
7) In the most unlikely event that the issue still has not been solved, a formal complaint can be issued. This can be done according to the regulations described in the ‘Faculty Regulations’ article 22. This will officially be registered and is required to be answered with a formal response by law.