6. Complaints committees

One complaint about undesirable behaviour was filed in 2021, but it was withdrawn before an investigation began .

Each year, the Academic Integrity Committee reports on its activities in general terms to the Executive Board. During the 2021 reporting year, the committee received two new complaints through the Executive Board, one less than in 2020. Both cases are still ongoing.

The Examination Appeals Board (EAB) received 162 appeals in 2021. The Executive Board received 60 objections. The Central Complaints Office received 55 complaints. Three appeals were lodged with the Appeals Tribunal for Higher Education.

Students who disagree with the assessment of preliminary or final examinations by the Examining Board can submit an appeal to the Examination Appeals Board (EAB). Of the 162 appeals received, the EAB ruled in 25 cases. This is more than in 2020 (14 rulings).

In 2021, the appeals continued to be handled via digital hearings. This complied with the relevant coronavirus measures and ensured that the legal protection of students remained intact.

The total number of cases, 162, is considerably higher than the 78 received in 2020. This increase can be largely explained by the transfer of the appraisal of appeals concerning admission to a Master’s programme (61 cases in 2021) from the complaints procedure to the EAB. The reason was that as of 1 January 2021, the Structure Regulations were amended in accordance with article 7.61, paragraph 1, under g, of the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW).

In 2021, 61 of the 162 appeals received (37.6%) were eventually settled amicably between the parties. Percentage-wise, this is lower than in 2020, when 34 of the 78 (43.5%) cases received were settled. This may have been caused by the transfer of the appeals concerning admission to a Master’s programme. The fact that a settlement was reached does not always mean that the outcome for the student was positive. For example, a settlement could also mean that another lecturer grades an exam again, with the same failing mark for the student.

Table 2: Progress of appeal cases qualified as appeals

Students can go to the Executive Board with objections to other written decisions. These objections concern matters such as financial support, admission and selection to Bachelor’s programmes, registration and deregistration, and tuition fees.

In 2021, 60 objections were received, a considerable decrease compared to the 118 objections received in 2020. This is largely due to the transfer of the objections concerning admission to a Master’s programme to the EAB. Moreover, the number of objections about not meeting the admission requirements for a Bachelor’s programme decreased. Most objections in 2021 were about the outcome of the selection procedure for study programmes with a quota (32 objections), but these were also fewer than in 2020. There was a peak in the number of objections in this category in 2020 due to a change in the selection procedures because of coronavirus measures.

In 2021, potential coronavirus measures were anticipated by introducing a digital selection procedure. However, this resulted in several prospective students lodging objections about technical problems during the digital assessment. The number of objections about the allocation of scholarships increased in 2021, and this can be explained by the substantial increase in the number of scholarship applications.

In 2021, 55 complaints were submitted through this complaints office, 23 fewer than in 2020. The complaints office can be reached via the Radboud University website. There is no clear explanation for this decrease, except that in 2021 there were no incidents in which several students complained about the same situation.

The complaints are subdivided into the following categories: complaints about the implementation of teaching, complaints about exams, complaints about graduation, complaints about registration and tuition fees, complaints about requesting a diploma/the graduation ceremony, complaints about buildings and facilities, complaints about information and the provision of information, complaints about treatment, complaints about guidance from student advisors or student counsellors, and other complaints.

Most complaints in 2021 were about the administration of exams (15 complaints) and education (14). For example, these complaints concerned the duration of an exam, the exam timetable or course registration problems. There were also a few complaints (4) about online education in connection with COVID-19.

A student who disagrees with a decision on an objection by the Executive Board or verdict of the EAB can appeal to the Appeals Tribunal for Higher Education (CBHO) in The Hague. The CBHO gives its opinion on the case in the form of a decision against which no further appeal is possible. The decisions rendered by the CBHO are published anonymously on the CBHO website.

In 2021, three appeals against verdicts of the Examination Appeals Board were submitted to the CBHO. These three appeals were all declared unfounded by the CBHO. No appeals were lodged with the CBHO against decisions on objections by the Executive Board.