Admissions Appeals and Complaints Policy

The Northern College of Acupuncture welcomes applications from all candidates with the potential to succeed in higher education. In line with the College’s commitment to a policy of equal opportunities, no student will be subjected to less favourable treatment on the grounds of their sex, age, disability, religion, marital or parental status, social background, sexual orientation, or ethnic or national origin.

Our admissions practices are designed to ensure that applicants are treated wholly on the basis of their aptitudes, skills and abilities in relation to their proposed programme of study, and we are committed to operating admissions procedures that are fair, efficient and transparent.

We recognise, however, that there may be occasions when applicants feel that the College has not adhered to the high standards it sets itself. This Appeals and Complaints Policy describes the difference between an appeal and a complaint and should be read in conjunction with the College’s Complaints Procedure.

An appeal can be made where the College has not offered the applicant a place, with the restrictions noted below. It is an appeal against the decision made. A complaint is where the applicant is of the opinion that there were errors, omissions, or a lack of professionalism in the treatment of the applicant, including the interview process and subsequent communication.

An applicant may only appeal on one or more of the following grounds:

• the College’s response to the application contains errors of fact;

• defects or irregularities in the conduct of the process of considering the application, or in written instructions or in advice relating thereto, which could have had an adverse effect on the quality of the application or its assessment by admissions staff;

• exceptional personal circumstances which were not known to the admissions staff, and where the student can show good reason why such circumstances could not have been made known to the admissions staff before or at interview, and which are shown to have had an adverse effect on the application or the applicant’s performance at interview.

Applicants may not make an Appeal or Complaint about a selection decision which disputes the academic or professional judgement of admissions staff regarding their suitability for entry to a particular programme of study. Applicants may only appeal on one or more of the grounds stipulated above. Any other issue must be addressed via the Complaints Procedure.

The Appeals and Complaints Procedures may not be used where the decision not to offer a place arises from a failure on the applicant’s part to fulfil any academic requirements (e.g. successful completion of an access course, or English language requirements) or non-academic requirements for admission (e.g. DBS check).

The College will seek to ensure that all appeals and complaints from applicants are treated seriously, positively and constructively. It will also seek to ensure that appeals and complaints are dealt with promptly, with fairness and consistency and with due regard to the College’s Equal Opportunities Policy. If an appeal or complaint is found to be justified, the College will take such action or provide such remedy as may be appropriate and will do so promptly. If an appeal or complaint is not upheld, the reasons for the decision will be communicated to the appellant or complainant.

Applicants making an appeal or complaint will not suffer any disadvantage or recrimination as a result of doing so.

Applicants and any individual against whom complaints might be made may expect complaints to be dealt with confidentially and that their privacy will be respected. However, it may be necessary to disclose information to others in order to deal with the complaint and in these circumstances the parties concerned will be informed of such disclosure. Our Complaints Procedures give further details.

Appeals and complaints may be submitted by an individual but not by a third party (educational establishment, parent or other representative), unless the third party has the explicit consent, in writing, from the applicant to act on their behalf.

For guidance on anonymous complaints see the College’s Complaints Procedure.

The College believes that any appeals or complaints should be resolved as near to their source as possible. For this reason, this Appeals and Complaints Policy and associated procedures provide for there to be a number of stages in the handling of an appeal or a complaint.

Appeals and Complaints will not be rejected solely on the grounds of minor procedural deficiencies on the part of the complainant. At each stage of the process, the person to whom an appeal or complaint has been referred shall, if it is upheld, apply such appropriate remedies as are within his/her powers. If s/he considers that the remedy is outside his/her powers s/he shall refer the matter to the Registrar or Principal of the College.

Applicants should normally make an appeal or complaint within fourteen (14) days of receiving the decision on their application. In the first instance, we encourage applicants to contact the member of admissions staff dealing with their application to request feedback so as to understand why their application did not meet our criteria for entry. At this stage, applicants may also informally request that the decision be reviewed, as it is possible that an error may have occurred.

The next stage if the situation remains unresolved is to submit a formal appeal or complaint. Appeals should be made following the College’s Application and Admissions Appeals Procedure (see below).

Applications and Admissions Appeals Procedure

Appeals should be made to the College Manager () using the applications and admissions appeal form provided here. The College Manager will consider an appeal within twenty-one (21) days of its receipt by the institution.

The College Manager will refer the appeal for consideration by two members of the admissions staff who were not involved in the previous assessment of the application and/or the interview. The two members of the admissions staff will review the case in the light of the information brought forward by the appeal. It will not necessarily follow that the College’s decision on the application will be changed. The appointed admissions tutors will inform the College Manager of their decision in writing no later than fourteen days following the referral of the appeal to them.

The College Manager, or his/her nominee, will inform the appellant of the outcome of his/her appeal in writing and, if appropriate, issue a new response to the application.

Final Appeal
Applicants are only allowed further appeal after following the above appeal procedure. A final appeal can be made in writing to the Board of Directors/Trustees, which will nominate two of its members to consider the appeal.

Reviewed by Academic Board: 04/11/2021. Next review: November 2025.