Students expect greater accountability in the age of tuition fees
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Some universities in England and Wales have sub-standard complaints procedures for students, the ombudsman has found.
The OIA - Office of the Independent Adjudicator - dealt with 350 complaints in 2005, upholding more than a third.
Most centred on academic appeals, assessments and grades. One student won an exam resit because staff absences meant seminars had not been held.
He also got £300 compensation. The total amount awarded to students during the year exceeded £260,000.
The OIA does not identify those involved in the cases it cites in its annual report.
In the case of the cancelled seminars, it said the unnamed university had taken insufficient steps to remedy the situation and should have arranged extra tuition for all the students concerned.
Dyslexic student
In another case, a dyslexic student was reimbursed one third of his fees.
The student had declared his disability on his enrolment form and had notified his tutors, but the university offered him no extra help for seven months.
The university in question was also forced to apologise and told to reform its procedures.
The number of complaints lodged last year was double those received in 2004 - although the OIA came into force only in the April of that year and statistics are accordingly based on eight months' worth of complaints.
Nevertheless the rise in complaints has been linked with tuition fees.
'Feelings running high'
Baroness Ruth Deech, head of the OIA, said she expected complaints to continue to rise as tuition fees increase to up to £3,000 per annum from this autumn.
"Students feel they must get their money's worth," she told BBC News.
"And feelings run much higher about results - students feel they have to achieve and distinguish themselves from others in the job market.
"Of course, as higher education keeps expanding, more people are getting involved and it is not surprising that problems are arising."
Baroness Deech said there were also concerns about how foreign and visiting students were handled by universities.
'Worrying'
The vice-chancellors' group, Universities UK, said it had fully supported the setting up of the OIA and was pleased to see it fulfilling its role.
"Although any absolute increase in the number of student complaints could be a cause for concern, it is also reassuring to see that students are aware that there is an independent body there to intervene when they have exhausted all avenues of appeal at the institution," a spokesman said.
National Union of Students vice-president Wes Streeting said there were some "seriously worrying" findings in the report.
"All students should have the right to make a complaint about an aspect of their course and to expect that their complaint be looked into thoroughly and according to a clear and unbiased procedure," he said.
"We would call on any universities failing to provide such a service to students to take action immediately to address the problem and to ensure that students are able to complain and appeal effectively, as is their right."
Mr Streeting said it was "good news" that more students were aware of the service the OIA offered.
"What the report also clearly shows is the real necessity for a watchdog organisation like the OIA to highlight failings and inconsistencies at different universities.
"It is imperative that such problems are brought to the public attention in order that pressure can be put on institutions to change and update their procedures."
Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said the rising number of complaints demonstrated that students feel more like consumers than learners.
"Little surprise given the increasing cost of a place at university," she added.
"Until universities and government are prepared to properly invest in higher education and the people who make it tick, complaints may continue to rise despite the best efforts of the staff on the ground."
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Students feel they must get their money's worth 