General FAQs

If you require advice from an adviser via email or wish to book an appointment to discuss your situation, please find out how to access the service here. When you complete this form, it helps us prepare with giving you bespoke advice once we understand the background to your case and the outcomes you desire to achieve. Please read our Data Protection Policy carefully.

We aim to respond within 3 working days, but we may take a little longer during particularly busy periods e.g. following the release of your results.

We offer a blended approach to our appointments service for students. We can arrange to meet you in person at the Falmer campus, at Ringmer House where we have a confidential space. If you're not able to travel to Falmer, we can arrange to meet with you on-line via MS Teams.

As per our Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy, when accessing the Union Advice service, under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 Article 6(1)(f), the following information relevant to your case/enquiry is required in order to create a case file: • Name, Student number, Contact details, Academic details (e.g., course, year of study etc.). Information and correspondence regarding your issue (your case file) including special category data provided by you in your request for advice (i.e. medical information, criminal convictions etc). This is because we have a legitimate interest to do so in order to provide you with a service.

Everything you disclose to us remains strictly within the advice service, unless you disclose any information, we believe is likely to put yourself or anyone else at potentially risk of harm. If this is the case, we will let you know who we will be sharing the information with and why. Any information we share will be in line with our Confidentiality, Privacy and Data Protection Policy.

You can read our pages on Academic Misconduct. You may then want to talk to us about what this means. We ask that you contact us immediately after receiving notification from your school. We can help you understand the nature of the allegation and the university’s Academic Misconduct regulations. We can also help you to prepare a personal statement and can attend any necessary meetings with you. It is important that we have enough notice of the scheduled time, date, and location so we can prepare with you in good time.

In the first instance, you can speak to your Course Leader, or the Tutor concerned to try to resolve any issues. Alternatively, you can give feedback to your Course Rep. Course Reps represent the views of the other students on their course and gather feedback from their fellow students. They can then discuss these issues with staff either in informal meetings or in the more formal course boards and staff/student committees. If you have tried, feel too uncomfortable speaking to them or if the matter can’t be dealt with via these routes, you should consider making a complaint. You can read more about making a complaint If you want some help then you can book an appointment with us and complete the Case Details Form, giving a succinct account of what the issues.

Yes. You can talk to us in confidence about the difficulties you are experiencing, and we can support you with submitting an Additional Considerations claim or an Extension. We are also able to direct you to the relevant support services available at the university. The sooner you come to see us the quicker we can help you! Please note that out service is free and confidential, and we always treat students in a non-judgemental way. You can read more about Extension Requests and Additional Considerations on the relevant sections of our website. If you want some help then you can book an appointment with us and complete the Case Details Form, giving a succinct account of what the issues.

Yes. You can talk to us in confidence about the difficulties you are experiencing, and we can support you with submitting an Additional Considerations claim or an Extension. We are also able to direct you to the relevant support services available at the university. The sooner you come to see us the quicker we can help you! Please note that our service is free and confidential, and we always treat students in a non-judgemental way. You can read more about Extension Requests and Additional Considerations on the relevant sections of our website. If you want some help then you can book an appointment with us and complete the Case Details Form, giving a succinct account of what the issues.

You should contact the university’s Student Money Advice team for any questions and advice about student loans, grants and scholarships, including the Hardship Fund. If you have any queries on tuition fees, for example if you are struggling to pay your fees, you should contact the university’s Income team. Make sure your quote your student number in all your communications.

This is a complex area, but simply put students cannot change their grades simply because they feel they deserve better marks/the marking is unfair/their tutor made a mistake. The university’s regulations do not allow students to be given marks they have not earned. However, there are several steps that can be taken in certain situations. If you are unhappy with your grade, you are encouraged to speak with your tutor(s) for feedback directly so you can understand why you received that grade and to identify whether there has been a simple error in the marking process, in the first instance. This is known as a Results Review. You can read more about Academic Appeals, Extension Requests, Additional Considerations and making a Complaint on the relevant sections of our website.

You will receive a response to your case form within 3 working days. Unfortunately, this sometimes can take longer especially during busy periods. Emailing other SU departments won’t give you a quicker response, as they are not trained advisors with the expertise to advise on your case. Make sure you get in touch with plenty enough time to meet any deadlines. It helps if you specify your deadlines on the Case Details Form when you book an appointment with us so your allocated advisor is aware.

You can expect a warm welcome. We will confirm key aspects of confidentiality policy and safeguarding policies. All advice we provide will be impartial. We will seek to understand your case in a non-judgemental manner and advise you on relevant policies to help you see how they related to your case. We will establish what you want to achieve and break down the university’s policies in a way for you to easily understand. At the end of the appointment, you should have a clear direction on ways forward. You might leave with some actions as well, for example, obtaining evidence, speaking with appropriate course staff, etc.

Yes. It is very helpful if you do. Send us any evidence such as a Turnitin report (for Academic Misconduct cases) or an outcome notification from the assessment board (for Academic Appeals and Additional Consideration cases) in good time ahead of the appointment. • Turn up on time for your appointment or let us know if you are unable to attend or running late. • Prepare well before your appointment: you will be asked for exact dates of assessments and other key events pertinent to your case. • Think about the outcomes you wish to achieve and the questions you want to ask us. • Prepare a timeline of events for issues spanning over longer period of time, this is particularly useful for complaints. • Keep a list of your School staff that you have spoken to already (for example your course officer, personal tutor, module leader, etc). We sometimes contact them on your behalf with your permission. • Forward any relevant emails to your case to us in advance. • Check that your Teams app works, and make sure you have a quiet space during the appointment. • Keep your Course Handbook accessible, you may need to refer to it at the appointment.

We will contact you in writing to confirm what was discussed and any actions that were agreed on (if applicable). You should expect to receive the advice notes of the appointment within 3 working days. Sometimes there might be a need for further advice or more details need to be known on your case. We will contact you should such a need arise.

We always look to improve our service and welcome feedback from students. In the first instance we suggest you speak to our adviser and see how things can be improved/rectified. You can email to us to let us know how we can improve our service at bsuspport@brighton.ac.uk. You can find details of our Complaint’s Policy on our website along with our Complaint Form. Complaints would be investigated as per the policy. However, the SU Advice Manager will be made aware of any complaint and any recommendations arising.

You may experience some delays in getting a response during peak programme operational periods such as assessment periods and also during summer holidays when staff are on leave. During unprecedent times such as a pandemic, staff sickness can play a big role in delayed responses. Unfortunately, we can’t simply make the University ‘work faster’ if they can’t reasonably do so. If the delays persist then get in touch with us, and we can discuss you escalating the matter further or another way of you obtaining the information you need. Also, take a look at our Useful Contacts page to see if you have the right contact for your enquiry.

We advise students on the university’s Complaints procedure/ Bullying & Harassment policy. We can help you prepare your case and advise you on informal channels to have your concerns resolved and advise you on making a complaint as appropriate. In addition, the University will work with its students to ensure that their rights, safety and welfare are protected throughout their involvement in any informal or formal procedures relating to any forms of harassment and bullying. This is to ensure that students are not treated differently if they report on harassment and bullying issues.

We will respond to you and offer you an in-person appointment as a priority. We can provide a safe, confidential space for you to explain what happened as well as what support and solution you are looking for. We will listen to you without judgement and signpost you to specialist support services such as the university’s Counselling service or emergency support services as appropriate. If you don’t wish to take any action straightaway that is fine, we will still be here to listen if you need us.