Read our Student Charter

Students work in partnership with the University and the Students’ Union to strengthen their student experience.

The University listens to and responds to the student voice to create a learning environment that meets our students’ expectations and helps shape the wider student experience.  Students have access to a range of opportunities to share their views and opinions on what the University is doing well and what it can do better.

The University and the Students’ Union will inform students of the changes made based on their feedback in a variety of ways, including: Student Academic Rep System (which includes student-staff panels), Speak Week/ Student Wins (student voice campaign), student intranet, Learning Central, student app and Student News (via email, newsletters, newspapers etc.)

The Students’ Union represents the student voice to the University by engaging students in democratic processes and campaigns, listening to the student voice and identifying recurrent issues in student feedback. On an annual basis, the Students’ Union produces the Student View, identifying trends and making recommendations for further improvements to the student experience. Partnership Projects are established each academic session in response to the Student View. These projects are jointly led by students and staff, monitored by the Student View Steering Group and reported regularly to University Council.

The University provides an education that seeks to excite, motivate, challenge, and support students.

The programmes of study are designed to enable students to engage actively in their learning, become part of the University’s learning community, and benefit from our excellent research culture. The teaching supports students in becoming independent learners who are enthusiastic and committed to their studies. The University’s physical, social and virtual learning spaces are designed in partnership with our students.  We work together to imbed academic integrity within the learning community.

Cardiff University has an inspiring and enriching environment which offers students a wide range of educational, social, cultural and sporting experiences to motivate, challenge and support them to succeed.

Our commitment relies upon an active partnership between students and the University, listening to student views and acting on them. This ensures that students are not unduly impacted by programme changes. The University and Student’s Union welcome feedback from students on all aspects of student life.

The University supports students' learning by providing regular, timely (no more than 20 working days for coursework), and constructive feedback to develop their knowledge and skills.

We work with our students to personalise their learning and support them during their studies.

We are committed to a safe and mentally healthy learning, working and living environment where every member of the University community can thrive. The University has worked with partners to adopt a whole institution approach to mental health in line with sector best practice. We have set this out in Enabling Success: A Strategy for Creating a Mentally Healthy University. We seek to ensure that positive mental health and wellbeing are an integral part of everything that we do. Working in partnership with our staff, students, and the wider community is central to laying the foundation for lifelong positive mental health and creating a mentally healthy University.

We are committed to addressing student suicide and are working with partners to become a Suicide Safer University using the Suicide-Safer Universities frameworks.

Students have access to a range of services which support and enhance student life. This includes services to support wellbeing, developing new skills, managing money, and settling into Cardiff University and student life. These exist primarily to remove barriers to learning, ensure students can achieve to the best of their academic ability, and ensure we all live and work in a safe, inclusive community. This includes services to support wellbeing, developing new skills, managing money, and settling into Cardiff University and student life. We encourage students to make use of all the support available, if needed, at the earliest opportunity.

The Students’ Union has seven full-time sabbatical officers and ten campaign officers to represent the students’ needs and interests.

We are proud to be a Welsh University at the heart of our capital city. We encourage all our students to engage with Welsh culture, including events such as the National Eisteddfod, Tafwyl, Diwrnod Shw’mae Su'mae, and Sŵn festival.

We are committed to providing an environment that promotes and facilitates the use of the Welsh language. You can find information on opportunities to study through the medium of Welsh on the Coleg Cymraeg branch web pages.  We aim to continue to raise awareness of the Welsh language and culture amongst all our students and expect that our students demonstrate respect for the equal status of the Welsh and English languages in public life in Wales. The University’s Welsh for All programme enables all students to gain and develop Welsh language skills.

We have recently launched the Welsh Language Strategy, which builds on our existing Welsh language initiatives, networks and activities by providing a defined cultural and community agenda. As part of this, we aim to increase the number of students studying in Welsh or bi-lingually, and expand and enhance our provision for teaching in Welsh. We will also look to develop a Cynnig Caerdydd (our Welsh-language offer) for our students.

We have a branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol within the University and we work in partnership with the Coleg Cymraeg to develop and deliver a sustainable portfolio of Welsh-medium educational provision and to meet the needs of our Welsh-speaking students and future employers.

The University is committed to the Welsh Language Standards, providing a Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor for students where requested and ensuring that those who wish to do so can undertake assessments and examinations in Welsh (with no delay to results).

The Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd, (UMCC) is a Union within the Students’ Union which is responsible for representing Welsh speakers, learners, and all those interested in Welsh language and culture during their time at Cardiff University. There is also Welsh representation in the form of an elected Welsh Language Campaign Officer.

We welcome and support students from a wide range of backgrounds, forming a diverse global community.

Students can expect to be welcomed and helped to adapt to University life, whether an undergraduate or postgraduate student, and in return they are expected to contribute to a welcoming environment for all.

Staff and students are expected to behave appropriately, both individually and in groups, treating each other and our local community and resources with dignity, courtesy, and respect. We expect everyone to accept their responsibilities to each other at all times and work together to ensure all students can live and study free from discrimination and harassment. This includes time spent on placement, taking part in sporting or other extracurricular activities, and time spent on social media. The Student Conduct Procedure sets out the University’s expectations of student conduct.  Students studying on programmes that lead to professional registration also have to follow the Fitness to Practise Procedure We provide an environment where students feel confident to inform us if their University experience is adversely affected by the behaviour of fellow students or staff using the Student Complaints Procedure.

The University promotes a climate of equal opportunity for all students, and is committed to meeting its statutory responsibilities regarding equality, diversity, safeguarding, and protected characteristics. Meanwhile, we encourage you to contribute to a positive campus culture by taking responsibility for learning about one another, being supportive of each other, and informing the University of any issues.

We provide opportunities and support for students to develop qualities that equip them to succeed as global citizens and to make a real difference in the world.

The University encourages students to engage with real-world concerns within Cardiff, Wales and internationally. We seek to provide our students with opportunities to develop skills for the future and the attributes to become effective, engaged global citizens. We support students to recognise the skills they are developing so that they can articulate and record these appropriately.  Some examples of these are featured on the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR).

We are committed to sustainable development and are signatories of the Sustainable Development Goal Accord. As part of this, we have committed to ensure that all of our students engage meaningfully with the global challenge of sustainability.

You are encouraged to enhance your skills by taking advantage of the opportunities provided, either as part of a programme of study or as an extracurricular activity. This includes international study and placements, both as part of your course and in addition to it. This can be during the academic year or in the summer recess, and by participating in extracurricular activities, such as the Student Mentor Scheme, the Athletic Union, the Guild of Societies, Skills Hub, Volunteering, Student Representation, Skills Development Service, Enterprise, Student Senate and Jobshop.

Our students can expect the University to communicate with them in an honest, open, accurate and timely manner, and to deal sensitively and professionally with any concerns.

The University communicates programme, module and assessment information clearly to students and it adheres to consumer protection law, as set out by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The University makes it clear to applicants where additional costs may be required to fulfil their course. Additional costs are stated on the University course finder pages under the tuition fees section and are also specified to applicants in their PDF offer letter.

Extenuating circumstances

Students are expected to tell the University when there are circumstances that may impact on their studies, so we can provide support and help where necessary.  Students should ensure that they are familiar with the University’s processes for reporting extenuating circumstances and understand the possible outcomes of a successful application under the Extenuating Circumstances Procedure (UG and PGT).  There is a separate procedure for postgraduate research students.

Additional support if students have a disability or long-term health condition

Students with disabilities or long-term health conditions may be entitled to additional support or reasonable adjustments to a programme of study, subject to certain criteria being met. Advice is available from the University’s Student Disability Services.

In order to be well informed, students are expected to pay attention to University communication, in particular to newsletters, emails and relevant web pages.

Exceptional circumstances

If, in exceptional circumstances (such as during a University closure due to snow, a pandemic or a period of industrial action), the University is unable to deliver what has been advertised it will seek to minimise the impact on the student learning experience, by ensuring appropriate adjustments are made to programme delivery and assessment (see also Student Complaints Procedure). In such circumstances the University will ensure there is timely and clear communication.  This is clearly stated in the Academic Regulations under its Variation of Arrangements section. The University’s Academic Regulations are reviewed throughout the year, and changes communicated to students via the intranet and other channels.

Keeping informed

Email is one of the core ways we communicate with students. Students should check their @cardiff.ac.uk email address regularly.

Get support and advice

We work together to give our students the best possible experience at Cardiff University. If a student’s experience fails to meet their expectations, we have established processes to deal with students concerns. Support is available from the University’s Student Life service and also through the Students’ Union Student Advice Service, which is a free, impartial service independent from the University.

Making a complaint

We recognise that from time to time a student may be dissatisfied and may wish to complain make a complaint to the University. We take all complaints seriously.  Students are expected to raise a concern at the earliest opportunity and within 28 days of a concern arising.  Concerns must be raised under the  Student Complaints Procedure.  A complaint may be submitted if a student feels they have suffered a detriment, dissatisfaction or disadvantage due to alleged actions of a member or staff or student; irregularities in the delivery of a programme, provision of supervision, issues relating to placement or concern about the quality of services, facilities or learning resources.  Students can seek help and guidance on the complaints process, and all University procedures, from the Students’ Unions independent Student Advice service. Whenever possible, the University aims to resolve complaints at the earliest opportunity. Students have the opportunity to escalate concerns and seek a review of the outcome.  The University aims to complete complaint cases within 90 days. If students remain dissatisfied at the end of the University’s internal processes, they can make a complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.