In early 2026, nursing students at the University of Notre Dame Australia discovered they couldn't graduate.
The university had enrolled more students than the course’s hospital placements were able to support, and many couldn't complete the 800 hours of clinical experience required to finish their degree. Over 200 staff members signed a letter raising their concerns, and the National Student Ombudsman's office began receiving complaints.
Problems like this can happen at universities across Australia - but what can you do if you experience something similar? Whether it involves a lecturer's behaviour, an administrative issue or something that affects your safety, it’s important to know your rights and how to take action if you need to.
Let’s break down the process of how to make a complaint at university.
What can you actually complain about?
Students can legitimately raise concerns about:
- Academic conduct: a lecturer who is unprepared, regularly unavailable or teaching content that doesn't match what was advertised
- Unfair assessment: marking that seems inconsistent, biased or poorly explained
- Harassment or discrimination: including racism, sexism or any behaviour that makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable
- Course administration: incorrect information about your course, delays in receiving results
- Facilities and resources: not enough access to materials or support, access taken away
- Placement and practical training issues: as Notre Dame students experienced, not being provided the opportunities required to complete your degree
- Disciplinary processes: if you feel a misconduct finding against you was handled unfairly
Start with the internal process
First thing’s first - you need to raise the issue with your university directly. Every Australian university is legally required to have a formal complaints policy, and this is usually your first step.
Start by looking up your university's student complaints or grievance procedure, which should be on the website or student portal. If you're not sure where to begin, your university's student advocacy service can be a huge help. These services are independent from university staff and can help you understand the process, prepare your complaint and support you through the process.
Keep records of everything: emails, dates, names and any relevant documents. A well-documented complaint is much harder to dismiss.
Need more help? Speak to the Ombudsman
If you've followed the internal process and you're not satisfied with the outcome, you can escalate your complaint externally as a last option.
For international students studying a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree, the right external complaint service is the National Student Ombudsman (NSO). The NSO can investigate complaints about a wide range of issues, including student safety and welfare, course administration, teaching and disciplinary processes.
The NSO is a free, non biased and independent service, and it accepts complaints from future, current or past students, with no time limit on historical complaints (you can make your complaint even years after the situation).
One important note: the NSO cannot look at complaints about academic judgement, such as a specific grade you received. But they can look into the process around how that grade was handled.
If you are studying a VET course, the Commonwealth Ombudsman can either help you, or connect you to the right service for your situation.
You have the right to be heard
As an international student, it can feel risky to speak up, especially if you're worried about visa status or damaging your relationship with your university. But Australian law requires universities to treat you fairly, and the complaint systems exist to protect students like you.
If something isn't right, don't stay silent. Start with your university's internal process, use your student advocacy service, and know that the National Student Ombudsman is there if you need them.
