TLC is committed to treating complaints fairly and promptly. A complaint must be made in good faith based on evidence that the complainant believes to be true. No action will be taken on anonymous complaints but if circumstances require, your identity may not be disclosed. Receipt of the complaint will be acknowledged within one week.
The first step, if you have a complaint or concern, is to make an appointment with your tutor/mentor or support staff – Culture & Employment, Learning Support or Programme Support to discuss your concern informally. It may be possible to resolve the situation without resorting to going through an official complaints procedure.
However, so that you can make an informed decision either way, Culture & Employment will provide you with a copy of the Student Complaints policy and process to ensure you are clear about your options going forward.
To avoid any ambiguity regarding the status of your concern, Culture & Employment will clarify whether the concern or statement received (written or verbal) is intended as a formal complaint, as this involves a more complex process.
Making a formal complaint
You may make a formal complaint either in writing, in person or by phone (where your complaint is recorded in writing for you by a designated member of staff).
Written complaint:
If you wish to write your complaint, please address it to The Managing Director and post to The Learning Connexion, PO Box 9811, Wellington 6141, or seal in an envelope and leave it at the Admissions office to be handed to the Managing Director.
Alternatively, you may email your complaint to Culture & Employment at cultureandemployment@tlc.ac.nz and they will forward it, on your behalf, to the Managing Director.
In-person complaint:
If you wish to make your complaint in person, please contact Culture & Employment or Learning Support to make an appointment. At that time, your complaint will be written down and read back to you to ensure it is accurate. The complaint will then be forwarded to the Managing Director.
Phone complaint:
If you are unable to attend an in-person meeting, you may phone Culture & Employment or Learning Support to advise that you wish to make a complaint. Note: They may need to schedule an appointment at a time suitable to you both. At that time, your complaint will be written down and read back to you to ensure it is accurate. The complaint will then be forwarded to the Managing Director.
Investigation & Decision
The managing director will convene a Complaints Committee of appropriate delegated staff. They will investigate the complaint; for example, if it's a complaint about a person, usually one staff member interviews the complainant and another staff member interviews whoever is the subject of the complaint. Both are welcome to have a support person present during any interviews or meetings.
The Committee will assess evidence, talk further to those involved if needed and make recommendations to the managing director (or delegated representative) who then makes a final decision.
Invariably there is a great deal of discussion and enormous care is taken to achieve the best possible decision.
The complainant will be kept informed of the process and of the outcome.
Outcomes
The outcomes will depend upon the nature of the complaint and the evidence gathered by the investigating team. Following a thorough investigation, the team will recommend appropriate outcomes to the Managing Director, who will evaluate the information provided and make the final decision.
Information storage
All information relating to informal and formal complaints is held in a secure, confidential folder by Culture & Employment in Google Drive.
Further action if necessary
If the person making the complaint is not satisfied with TLC's decision, he or she can take the case to a District Courts Disputes Tribunal (if appropriate) or to the Police or to NZQA, PO Box 160, Wellington, 6140.
Complaints process for international students
We want your time here at The Learning Connexion to be enjoyable, however, when things do not go as well as we may like, here are some ideas about what you can do.
If you have a complaint or problem, first talk to your tutors. If this does not solve the problem, then speak to the International Student Advisor and/or member of the Strategy team at The Learning Connexion.
If the problem is not resolved it may be brought to the attention of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority:
Phone: 0800 697 296.
Email: helpdesk@nzqa.govt.nz
If your complaint is financial or contractual you can contact FairWay Resolution; iStudent Complaints team. The service is free and they will arrange an interpreter if necessary.
Phone: 0800 00 66 75
Email: complaints@istudent.org.nz
Website: http://www.fairwayresolution.com/got-a-dispute/istudent-complaints