We are today launching a new project, focused on asking the question, How can student complaints be handled well?

Our plan is to establish a working group, tasked with exploring the complaints processes available to Theological Education Institution (TEI) students. We are looking for both staff and student members for this group from around the TEIs – people with experience of existing complaints processes, or opinions about them, or ideas for how they could be improved, or simply an interest in finding out more.

Context

The impetus for this project was the publication of the final report of the Church of England’s Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice, which included a section on complaints (attached). That report pointed out the ways in which people of Global Majority Heritage have all too often been failed by the complaints processes available to them in the church, and outlined some of the characteristics that a safe and effective complaints system needs to have. (Full disclosure: I was one of the members of the Commission, and of the working group that produced this specific material on complaints.) 

Whilst this was a Church of England report, we believe that many of the issues are likely to be relevant to other churches, and to all TEIs.

What will the group discuss?

The group won’t be able to investigate or make recommendations about specific cases. Our focus will be strictly on policy and process.

We will

·                     discuss the complaint processes available to TEI students – whether focused on academic or on non-academic matters;

• identify any generic problems that students or staff have experienced with those processes;
• discuss any challenges facing specific groups of students (as identified, for example, in the Commission for Racial Justice's report in relation to race);
• discuss the principles that need to shape a safe and effective complaints process; and 
• look for and share best practice.

This won’t be a group that itself has the power to create policy, but we expect that it will develop recommendations for circulation to TEIs, the Common Awards team, the Church of England’s Ministry Development Team, and any other relevant body.

How will the group work?

We hope that the group will be able to meet online three times during the 2026 calendar year, for no more than two hours per meeting. There are likely to be some papers to read before each meeting, and we may also ask for comment between meetings on the drafts of any recommendations that the group produces. The group will have a chance to discuss and agree its precise terms of reference in the first meeting.

Are you interested in being a member?

We are looking for a group of around ten people, including at least two students. If possible, we hope that the group will include people from a wide range of TEIs, and that it will be diverse in other ways. We are asking at this stage for expressions of interest. If you think you might be interested in joining, please email me at mike.higton@durham.ac.uk, giving me a brief statement of why you are interested. That statement need only be a sentence or two long, but do feel free to write more. Please also include some details about yourself, including your name, your TEI, whether you are staff or student, and the programme you are on (students) or the role you play in the TEI (staff). We can’t guarantee that all who express an interest will be invited to join, because we don’t want the group to get too big, and we want a good mix of people, but we will be in touch in due course with everyone who expresses an interest.

Please send your expressions of interest by the end of November 2025.

If you have any questions or concerns about this project, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes,

Mike Higton

Common Awards Team

Academic Quality Service