What the OIA’s 2024 Annual Report tells us about operational maturity in higher education

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) released its 2024 Annual Report this week, and it makes for thoughtful reading - not only in terms of student complaints, but in what it reveals about institutional operations, responsiveness, and culture.

The 2024 data shows a continued rise in complaints across the sector; not just in volume, but in themes that reveal deeper operational and cultural challenges.

Many complaints relate not just to outcomes, but to how decisions are made and communicated, and whether students feel treated fairly in the process.

Escalated complaints often stem from unclear responsibilities, policy misapplication, and poor communication between departments. These issues frustrate students and leave casework teams under immense pressure.

All of this tells us two things. First, students are becoming more aware of their rights every year and they are more willing to raise concerns (rightly so). Second, and more importantly for higher education leaders, is this: How well your institution handles complaints is a powerful indicator of your operational maturity.

Complaints are not just a legal risk; they’re a strategic signal

Efficient, fair complaint handling isn’t about bureaucracy. It’s about whether your institution has:

• Clear, student-centred processes

• Policies that are understood and accessible to both staff and students

• Joined up decision making across functions

• A culture of learning from what goes wrong

Many of the complaints highlighted in the OIA’s 2024 report weren’t about single catastrophic failures. They reflected accumulated frustrations: ambiguous policies, slow responses, inconsistencies between departments, or support processes that didn’t work when students needed them most. Addressing these gaps isn’t just about compliance. It’s about creating operational environments where students and staff can trust that the system works for them, not against them.

When complaint numbers rise, it’s tempting to see them purely as a burden. In reality, complaints often shine a light on the hidden inefficiencies, communication gaps, or governance weaknesses that impact far more than the individuals involved.

Institutions that view complaints through a purely defensive lens miss an opportunity. Those that approach them with curiosity and a commitment to continuous improvement build stronger, more resilient operations. And stronger trust with their students and staff.

The real challenge: embedding efficient, people-centred processes

At The Hiveworks, we believe that operational excellence is about supporting people, not just enforcing policy. That means building governance and support structures that allow concerns to be addressed early, fairly, and with compassion, before they escalate into formal complaints.

Strong operations don’t just protect institutions, they empower them; freeing leadership to focus on strategy, enabling staff to do their best work, and ensuring that students experience the fairness, clarity, and support they rightly expect.

Policy review plays a crucial role in this work. Clear, accessible, and well communicated policies create confidence for both staff and students. Taking time to refresh policies, streamline processes, and strengthen governance isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessary investment in institutional resilience.

If you’re reflecting on your institution’s operational foundations in light of the OIA’s 2024 report, now is the perfect time to ask:

Are our systems and policies truly supporting success – or silently creating risk?

---

Key lessons from the OIA 2024 Annual Report

• Complaints are rising, highlighting the need for stronger, more resilient operational frameworks.

• Many issues arise from accumulations of small gaps, not from single major failings.

• Clear, accessible policies that are well-understood by both staff and students are critical.

• Joined up, people centred operations reduce risk, build trust, and support long-term success.

• Early action matters - this means investing in operational reviews and strengthening governance now to prevent bigger challenges later.

---

Ready to take a closer look at your operational foundations?

Let’s talk about how I can help.

hello@thehiveworkshub.com