Attachment: CAPA Paper
A number of better practices in the processing of grievances have been noted in the CAPA 1994 survey. The circulation of best practice guidelines to individual students may not be the most effective method of improving the processing of student grievances. As reflected in the CAPA survey of grievance procedures, many institutions do not as yet have in place grievance procedures for dealing with problems of postgraduates in particular. Draft grievance procedures have been developed by CAPA to assist affiliates to work towards the implementation and /or improvement of university grievance procedures.
Different models for grievance resolution have different benefits and drawbacks. Nevertheless CAPA believes that, as far as possible, postgraduate students should have access to a single and effective grievance procedure capable of dealing with any matter which may adversely affect the progress of a student’s course of studies. Two important exceptions to this rule are firstly, where state or commonwealth legislation lays down specific procedures that must be followed in resolving a particular form of grievance, and secondly, where postgraduate students and their representative association decide that a separate process is required for certain types of grievances.
