Whether on or off campus, harmful or inappropriate behaviour that involves UC staff and students is unacceptable. We want our people to feel safe, speak up, and be heard. Whether it's a formal complaint or an anonymous report, there are actions any student, staff, or visitor can take.
Topic
How to raise a concern
03 November 2023
There are different processes to follow, depending on the nature and severity of your concern.
HOW TO APPLY
Keep yourself safe at all times. If you feel unsafe or require immediate assistance while on campus, call UC Security on 0800 823 637.
If you are in distress and need to talk to someone, use one of the helplines listed here.
If you have a concern but do not want it to be formally investigated or you wish to remain anonymous, you may choose to make an informal anonymous report. Most of the questions in the online form are optional, but you are recommended to answer as many as you can. Naming individuals via this process does not allow UC to open a formal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Making an anonymous report does not prevent you from making a complaint through the formal complaints process, or reporting the incident to the New Zealand Police, if you wish to do so.
1) The purpose of this form is to allow the University to collect information on the nature of events that occur on campus or which involve our staff and students. The University will use this information for two purposes.
- To identify trends that inform decisions for improving the safety and wellbeing of staff and students.
- Allow individuals to be heard by the University without submitting a formal complaint.
Please note that the use of this form does not constitute a formal complaint to the University. The University has limited ability to investigate anonymous reports. In some circumstances, the University may be able to investigate or act on information obtained in reports, such as where there is independent corroborating evidence.
2) This information will be kept as long as required to meet the purpose above, and as required by the University’s General Disposal Authority. After this time, official University procedure will be followed to dispose the data.
3) This information will be held in a highly secure environment and will be treated as highly confidential. Access to this information is restricted to limited members of staff who are responsible for the content of the reports and for administering the tool, with the oversight of the University’s Privacy Officer. If there is sufficient contextual evidence or other information that allows the University to identify a complainant or others involved, this will also be held securely.
4) If an individual is named or otherwise identified in an anonymous report, the University reserves the right to inform them of this, and the content of the report.
5) This information will not be supplied to third parties unless required under specific circumstances. This includes where the University is assisting the Police in an investigation, or if the University is concerned about the safety of individuals. Where this occurs, it will be undertaken by the Privacy Officer in accordance with the Privacy Act. Statistical and trend analysis of information supplied in this form will be used by the University to inform decision making which may improve the safety and security of its staff and students. Reports may be used to supplement investigations or disciplinary activities where there is independent corroborating evidence or where reports are sufficiently concerning.
6) The Privacy Act allows individuals to access or change their information. Please note, as this form is anonymous, we will not be able to identify your report. This means it will not be possible to request or amend your report. Third parties named in reports may access and, if necessary, amend their information under Principle 7 of the Act.
What happens with my anonymous report?
Only a limited number of specialist staff will have access to the information provided in the anonymous report. Responsibility for identifying what actions are taken on the basis of the content of reports received through the tool resides with those specialised staff. Aggregated data and trends are provided to the Central Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (CEDAC) and the Student Critical Incident Group (SCIG) in order to better understand the nature of incidents experienced by students and staff from UC, and to undertake actions such as education and training aimed at reducing the incidence of bullying, harassment, discrimination and assault.
For more information about informal anonymous reporting, please visit the FAQ page.
The formal complaints process involves formal investigation of a concern, complaint, grievance or appeal made in writing to the University. The University aims to resolve formal complaints in a timely manner, and students or staff using it will be kept informed of progress.
All formal complaints must be submitted by email to concerns@canterbury.ac.nz and should include all relevant information.
A crime is defined as an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law.
To report a crime, the University encourages you to do so either directly to the Police, or anonymously through Crimestoppers. Crimestoppers is an independent charity that helps people to fight crime by providing an anonymous and simple way to pass on information to the authorities. Crimestoppers can be anonymously informed through an online email form or anonymous phone call on 0800 555 111.
Students may appeal an academic decision by following the Appeals Regulations.
Complaints about a student must follow the processes outlined in the Misconduct Procedures Guide, in line with the Behavioural misconduct regulations and Academic misconduct regulations.
The University can only investigate the behaviour of currently enrolled students within the jurisdiction of the student misconduct procedures and regulations. Generally, this means there needs to be a significant nexus to the University.
If you wish to lodge a complaint about a potential breach of privacy you should contact the Information and Records Management Team, as outlined in the UC Privacy Policy.
Concerns about intellectual property should follow the processes outlined in the Intellectual Property Policy.
All complaints and concerns relating to student loans and student allowances should be addressed to StudyLink directly.
Health and safety concerns and incidents should be reported through Assura.
You should follow the procedures outlined in the Protected Disclosures Policy.
