Soas student unable to finish PhD due to supervision failings offered thousands of pounds

'We deeply regret that in dealing with complaints we were not as swift as we should have been and the university apologises for the delays'

A student who was unable to finish his PhD because of multiple failings by the university has been offered thousands of pounds in compensation.

The Soas University of London student told the Times Higher Education that the case had taken a “huge emotional and financial toll” on his life, leaving him in a “constant state of anxiety”.

The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, is still in a dispute with the university over the supervision that he needs to finish his doctorate – despite the fall-out starting three years ago.

The case began when he was forced to interrupt his studies during the spring term in 2015 - after he fell ill while carrying out overseas fieldwork.

Soas failed to register his absence, or to cancel his visa sponsorship, and then failed to re-enrol him the following year, the student said.

When he returned from medical leave, the student claims that he only had one supervision meeting between October 2016 and April 2017.

Following a complaint to Soas, an investigation report concluded in August last year that the failures had led to “avoidable delays, inconvenience, and stress for the complainant”.

The report recommended £2,000 compensation and an intervention by a senior member of staff to ensure everything was in place for a successful completion of the PhD.

But the student said Soas again failed to provide suitable supervision, leading to another complaint - which was partially upheld earlier this year.

The compensation has now been increased to £5,000 as a result of the "distress caused from the lack of supervision".

The panel report said: "Soas had failed to provide suitable supervision to enable the complainant to complete his degree."

A Soas spokesman said: “The student has lodged several complaints against Soas in relation to the supervision of their PhD.

“We deeply regret that in dealing with some of the complaints we were not as swift as we should have been and the school apologises for the delays in the process.”

He added: “As things stand now, we are actively seeking to find a resolution with the student, to bring these matters to a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

“This case has distinct and individual features and we will continue to look at how best to deal with the student's complaints.”

The spokesman said Soas’ director had initiated a review to look at the “lessons to be learned” and the steps that could be taken to ensure other students do not experience similar circumstances.