Student Advocacy service charter

Student Advocacy is a free and confidential service available to all Federation students, no matter where, what or how you study. We support students across every campus, qualification level (TAFE, undergraduate and postgraduate), and those studying online or through a partner provider.

Student Advocacy is a free and confidential service. We work independently from the decision-makers at Federation University to give students impartial advice on University policies and procedures when things have gone wrong. We help students understand and navigate University processes with confidence, particularly when decisions may have significant consequences.

We're not part of your teaching area or academic team, and we won't share anything you tell us unless you ask us to act on your behalf. We provide support in a way that respects academic integrity and fairness for all students.

While we don't report on individual cases, we may raise issues with the University – especially if they affect multiple students. We also share anonymous data to help improve the student experience.

Student Advocacy is an appointment-based service. This helps us prepare properly for each conversation and ensures your privacy. Our goal is to give you the tools and knowledge to manage your situation and advocate for yourself wherever possible. You’re the expert in your own experience.

Book a Student Advocacy appointment.

Our role is to help you navigate University processes and policies. We can:

• listen to your concerns and offer advice based on our experience with university processes 
• answer questions about academic or general misconduct, unsatisfactory academic progress, exclusion or suspension, special consideration, appeals, complaints, assessment concerns and other issues relating to University processes
• explain your rights and responsibilities as a student
• talk through your options for resolving concerns
• clarify emails or letters you've received from the university
• help provide feedback on your draft letters and appeals
• help you prepare for meetings and hearings, and attend with you as a nominated support person
• support you if you believe there's been an error or you've been treated unfairly
• connect you with the right person or service.

We can support you better if you:

• communicate with us clearly and professionally
• complete the questions on our booking form and upload any relevant documents
• answer our questions, or let us know if you’re unable to
• tell us if something doesn’t make sense or you think we’ve made an error
• get in touch before something becomes urgent, so we have time to help
• follow University processes to help prevent issues
• work actively to resolve your concern.

We'll listen to your concerns and offer advice based on our experience with University processes and the outcome you're hoping for. We’ll do our best to support you in resolving your concerns. If you've given us authority to act, we might contact University staff to gather information or help resolve your concerns. We might also check University systems such as my Student Centre to find enrolment details or relevant letters.

There are some things we won't be able to help you with. We can't:

• investigate your complaint
• change a decision the University has made
• change your marks
• get someone removed from their role (we can't influence staffing decisions)
• provide counselling
• give you legal, visa or Centrelink advice.