To strengthen the student-centered educational process and the principles of transparency and accountability, the “Regulations for the Management of Complaints and Appeals” of postgraduate students in the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, School of Science, NKUA, have been adopted and must be observed. This procedure applies to all complaints concerning the quality of the educational services provided by the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” of the School of Science.

A complaint/appeal is defined as a concern or issue causing dissatisfaction that relates to the quality of the services provided by the MSc Programme and whose resolution is not covered by other regulations and procedures.

The MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” recognizes that complaints/appeals may arise from time to time and must be appropriately addressed and managed. The Programme seeks to create an environment in which: (i) submitting complaints/appeals is fully accepted; (ii) the person submitting the complaint/appeal knows that doing so will not result in any adverse consequence; (iii) complaints/appeals receive the necessary attention; (iv) where a member of the Programme is involved, that person has an opportunity to respond; and (v) all parties involved are informed promptly about the handling of the complaint/appeal once the process has been completed.

Purpose

The purpose of these Regulations is to provide a systematic and consistent framework that promotes the fair and timely resolution of any issues raised by students. This systematic approach promotes accountability while also helping to remedy deficient services where necessary, prevent the recurrence of identified problems, and continuously improve the quality of studies and the learning experience.

The complaints-management policy is addressed to active students of the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” and is intended to resolve disagreements or problems such as:

• Disagreement concerning studies and attendance
• Improper conduct by a member of the academic or administrative staff
• Insufficient guidance of students by a member of the academic staff
• Insufficient guidance of students by a member of the administrative staff

Resolution Procedures

A complaint/appeal may be addressed through two principal categories of procedure: (i) direct resolution and (ii) submission of a complaint/appeal.

(I) Direct resolution

The MSc Programme encourages students to try to resolve any complaint or appeal promptly and directly with the member(s) of the Programme (faculty, laboratory teaching staff, special technical laboratory staff, associate or Secretariat) involved in the matter that caused the dissatisfaction.

This makes it possible to remedy any error, misunderstanding or omission as quickly as possible. Where a student is dissatisfied with the direct-resolution process, does not know whom to approach, or has reservations about approaching the person involved directly, the student may contact either the Director of the MSc Programme or their Academic Advisor for support and guidance aimed at resolving the issue promptly.

(II) Submission of a complaint/appeal

Where, after completion of the direct-resolution process, the student objects to the proposed solution or the situation remains problematic, the student may submit the complaint in writing.

The procedure is described below:

For recording complaints and appeals by students of the MSc Programme, a “Complaint Submission Form” is available electronically on the website of the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” (minexplo.geol.uoa.gr). The [1]student completes the form and submits it to the Programme Secretariat. The Secretariat ensures that the request is registered immediately and communicated both to the student concerned and to their Academic Advisor (see Appendix IV—ACADEMIC ADVISOR).

After examining the complaint, the Academic Advisor takes all necessary action and informs the governing bodies of the MSc Programme.

Academic Advisors may propose solutions and act as mediators, in direct consultation with the student, for all parties involved. To this end, the Academic Advisor may, at their discretion, contact other members of the Programme Coordinating Committee to request their assistance in resolving the problem, as their duties require. The student may follow the same procedure where cooperation with the Academic Advisor does not resolve the problem/appeal.

In every case, the Postgraduate Education Committee of the School of Science may also be activated upon request; students may contact it regarding any problems encountered during their studies. An issue affecting a student should initially be resolved by the Academic Advisor and/or the instructor of the course concerned. Where the proposed solution does not satisfy the student, the student has the right to contact the Programme Directorate, which will decide whether the opinion of the Coordinating Committee is required. Where the decision of the Director does not satisfy the student, the student may lodge a complaint/appeal, and the final decision will be taken by the Assembly of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment. The decision of the Department Assembly is final.

Depending on the nature and urgency of the matter, the student is duly informed within a reasonable period of the outcome of the actions taken and the decisions made concerning the matter.

Protection of Personal Data

To protect students’ personal data, the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” archives and manages information arising from any appeal/complaint in accordance with applicable legislation and under no circumstances discloses their personal data (contact details, grade records or other data of a personal nature).

Evaluation of the Implementation of the Complaint and Appeal Resolution Procedure

It is advisable to implement measures that will help optimize the complaint and appeal resolution process. Complaints and appeals submitted through the written/formal procedure should be recorded and classified electronically so that the outcomes of their resolution can be measured, evaluated and compared both qualitatively and quantitatively.

COMPLAINT SUBMISSION FORM