University complaints

[mk45]

My son recently completed a dissertation with a well known Midlands university but got a lower mark than expected. My son took his dissertation without any support or teaching from the course leader. The course leader has emailed my son to confirm he had no contact with my son. He said lockdown was hard for students and staff. This person was also his dissertation supervisor and he did not mark the draft dissertation so my son took the whole two module course without being taught. He had informed them he could not access course materials early on. He raised it three times throughout the course but staff did not follow their own complaints procedure and now the course is finished they want him to put it on a step 1 form. Is this usual for students trying to complete degrees and dissertations during lockdown? I know my son can complete the internal complaints procedure but has anyone experienced this process because his close friend, another student from the same university, recently committed suicide and it might be better to leave it rather than deal with a stressful complaints procedure that won't achieve much. Thanks

If he could access the turnitin link he must’ve had access to that module on the VLE, surely?

@Datingandnoideahowto

If he could access the turnitin link he must’ve had access to that module on the VLE, surely?

Yes, that's what I'd expect. Something doesn't quite add up here...

He had an agreed extension due to extenuating circumstances after the suicide of his flatmate. That is the only reason I can think of why his draft wasn't marked. My son said the lecturer replied saying he was now on holiday.

This doesn’t make sense. And, as judge Judy says, if something doesn’t make sense it’s usually not true.

There has to be more to this than your son is telling you. Has to be.

He could access it through the library but not in accommodation. He could not use the library for quite a while during lockdown as it was an English degree.

He will have had access to a vpn to emulate being on campus. (Worked in or studied at 4 universities. They all have this).

Why does it being an English degree mean he couldn’t use the library? Sorry I’m confused.

I have seen the emails from the university. This is completely true. I'm not sure if this was normal for other students. His course was supposed to be workshop bases but this could obviously not go ahead face to face and was changed to online. perhaps the Internet access was too slow in his accommodation.

During lockdown the library was only available to certain students. Other students had to work from home.

Was he in university accommodation?

I'm presuming the library had restricted access to those who had to be physically on site (although from memory those who were physically on site tended to be medics/science/teaching students - so only teaching would probably be using the same library as OPs son?)

So are you/he saying he had no internet access in accommodation - what did the rest of his household do?

I just don’t understand the whole thing. It honestly doesn’t make sense.

If he had such poor internet in his accommodation that he couldn’t study, and the course and all materials were dependent on it, why didn’t he just come home?

What were the resources he couldn’t access, and why couldn’t he access them? Was it Zoom calls that kept cutting out, online modules he didn’t have access permissions for, or? What did staff say when he said that he couldn’t access them?

What were the emails about that you saw? What exactly did the university say?

I’m honestly trying really hard to understand because I’d love to help you but I’m struggling to understand exactly what happened.

I don’t understand how he was going to access the lectures via the library if they weren’t recorded? I also dont understand how he could know he has a dissertation to do, knows what it is but not that he has a supervisor?

Also as a pp mentions- if he can access Turnitin he can access the virtual learning environment which is where you would expect course materials to be located

I’ve had a think about the universities I know/have colleagues in and I can’t think of any that didn’t have arts/social science lectures online at least in part.

We did live lectures but they were recorded and available to view afterwards, tutorials live and not recorded; other universities did recorded lectures recorded by the lecturer prior to the time of the lecture and then out online and available to view asynchronously and tutorials live.

*put

And all provided course materials online accessible via the VLE and/or library. Lecture handouts and notes. Additional resources. Books and journal articles available online and physical copies being posted out free by the library.

He was in private accomodation through a letting agency.

He ended up being alone in the accomodation.

@Datingandnoideahowto

I just don’t understand the whole thing. It honestly doesn’t make sense.

If he had such poor internet in his accommodation that he couldn’t study, and the course and all materials were dependent on it, why didn’t he just come home?

I am a key worker in a higher risk full time job. His dad is not British and had to stay in an EU country where his work is based. The Government advice was to stay put. With hindsight I should have collected him.

@Datingandnoideahowto

What were the emails about that you saw? What exactly did the university say?

I’m honestly trying really hard to understand because I’d love to help you but I’m struggling to understand exactly what happened.

The tutor confirmed he had no contact with my son. The department also had confirmed he put in three complaints that he couldn't access materials, workshop lectures. The complaints department confirmed staff did not follow the complaints procedure . They now want it on a stage one form. The dissertation marking from the lecturer said he hadn't submitted drafts but the lecturer then confirmed by email he had submitted drafts.

I have so many Questions.

How did he know how when format etc for his dissertation to be submitted if he got no guidance and couldn’t access course materials?

Did he have access to the VLE?

If he was able to access the link to upload his dissertation then he must’ve had access.

When you says your sons dissertation comments - do you mean comments and feedback from his dissertation supervisor?

What exactly do you mean by he could not access the lectures? Was he unable to login he? Was he locked out of the VLE or was his internet too poor?

How did he not have access to the library and yet he was able to book library slots to access lectures?

What lectures were there for a dissertation module?

He’s final year. Wasn’t he in any WhatsApp groups where he could ask his contemporaries?

What is the relevance of his equality act covered condition?

Was the course leader the dissertation module coordinator? Or do you mean the course coordinator?

What teaching was he supposed to get for his dissertation module? It’s happy a piece of independent research?

Did he submit a proposal?

If the course leader had no contact with your son, why was your son not emailing frequently, phoning trying to get contact?

How was the draft that didn’t get marked submitted?

If this is a two module equivalent, was it over one semester or two?

Again, you wouldn’t normally be taught for the dissertation module as such.

What materials couldn’t he access and why? As above.

He only raised this three times? That’s not nearly enough. It’s also not something for the lecturer to drive a complaint on, it would be for your son to do this.

What is a step 1 form?

How could the tutor have no contact with him yet simultaneously know your son couldn’t access resources?

You're still not being clear. WHY couldn't he access lectures? He obviously had the internet if he was able to email. How did he manage to write a dissertation without ever having had the topic discussed?

Confirmation that his tutor had no contact is meaningless without the background. For all anyone knows he could have been ignoring all attempts to be contacted.