If you've missed lectures due to issues like staff redundancies, staff strikes, cancellations, or other disruptions, you may be able to claim compensation from the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) depending on the severity of the disruption and the impact on your studies; this could include a partial refund of tuition fees, compensation for distress and inconvenience, or other remedies depending on the circumstances of your case.
Key points about claiming compensation for missed lectures through the OIA:
You need to gather strong evidence supporting your claim, including details about the number of missed lectures, the impact on your learning, and any attempts to resolve the issue with your university beforehand.
- Consider the severity of the disruption:
The OIA will assess the extent to which the missed lectures impacted your ability to achieve the learning outcomes of your course.
Depending on the case, the OIA may recommend a partial tuition fee refund, compensation for distress and inconvenience, or alternative learning arrangements to make up for the missed content.
- Exhaust internal options first:
Before approaching the OIA, you should first try to resolve the issue with your university through their internal complaint’s procedure.
Factors that could influence your claim:
- Nature of the disruption: Was it a one-off incident or a prolonged period of cancelled classes?
- University's response: Did the university take reasonable steps to mitigate the impact of missed lectures, like providing alternative learning materials or rescheduling classes?
- Impact on your studies: Can you demonstrate how the missed lectures directly affected your academic performance?
You can see some examples of case summaries as a result of industrial action here: Case summaries - OIAHE
In order to make a complaint to the OIA, you must have first complained to Brunel. A link to the Brunel Complaints procedure can be found at the bottom of this article.
Office for Students - Protecting students as consumers
Students at universities in England are covered by the principles of consumer protection, and a range of law and guidance applies. The Office for Students works with other bodies to secure this protection for the benefit of students.
The Office for Students (OfS) plays an important role in protecting students’ consumer interests. The regulation is designed to empower student choice and incentivise existing and new providers of higher education to focus on students’ needs. The conditions of registration include an explicit requirement that institutions demonstrate they have given due regard to relevant guidance about how to comply with consumer protection law in developing and implementing their policies.
The scope of consumer protection law as it relates to higher education is wide. In addition to teaching and learning, it applies to a range of other services, such as accommodation and support, provided by universities and colleges for current and prospective students.
The OfS published a briefing note in November 2022, highlighting the need for universities and colleges to continue to comply with their regulatory and legal obligations when addressing disruption caused by industrial action. It summarised their obligations under consumer protection law and reminded them that all OfS conditions of registration continue to apply during periods of industrial action taken by staff in universities.
OfS also reminded providers affected by the ongoing marking and assessment boycott in June 2023 to ensure that students are not disadvantaged, that they can graduate or progress on time where this is appropriate in academic terms, and that any degree awarded accurately reflects a student’s academic achievement. Where they cannot ensure this is the case, OfS have said that they expect there to be proactive engagement with the students directly affected to ensure they understand when they will receive assessment outcomes and are informed of the full range of options available to them.
What can you do?