This page contains NTNU's "Procedure for reporting deviations in education and learning environment". The procedure is mandated in Guideline - report and follow up deviations - education quality, which is a part of NTNU's Quality system for education.

Decided by: Director of the Education Quality Division
Valid from: 1 January 2023

Main page: Guideline - report and follow up deviations - education quality | Education Quality
Norsk versjon: Prosedyre - melde avvik - utdanning og læringsmiljø

This is a procedure that describes the process for how staff and students should report deviations concerning education and learning environment at NTNU.

NB! Reports concerning notifications of grave and unacceptable conditions in connection with education and learning environment (i.e. bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, violence etc.) shall not be reported as deviations in EQS, but must rather be reported and registered through the form for notification of censurable conditions.

Before reporting deviations in education and learning environment, it is important that you have tried to solve the issue at the lowest possible level by providing your input and suggestions of improvement through NTNU’s ordinary channels:

• As a student, you can provide feedback and input through student participation, either directly to your teacher, through evaluations or via the student democracy. Your student advisor, teacher, course coordinator or student union representative will all be able to guide you regarding the various options you have for participation.
• As a member of staff, you can provide your feedback regarding necessary changes in subjects and study programs through dialogue within the relevant academic environment, via the study program councils or in evaluation reports.

If these actions do not have the desired outcome, you may report a deviation in accordance with the guidelines for notification, handling and follow up of deviations in education and learning environment at NTNU.

Purpose

The purpose of the procedure is to help ensure that all deviations are reported in a way that enables the responsible units at NTNU to follow up and implement measures that will contribute to further development and improvements, or that will remove the cause of the deviation and prevent it from happening again.

Scope and anchoring

The procedure applies to all units, staff and students at NTNU.

Definition

Deviation

See the guidelines for notification, follow up and handling of deviations in education and learning environment for definitions in connection with this procedure.

Limitations

Alerts concerning grave and unacceptable conditions in education or learning environment shall not be reported as deviations in EQS. Examples of such incidents include bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, violence, threats, threatening behaviour etc. Please refer to this page for further information about grave and unacceptable conditions and how you can report this at NTNU.

If you are in doubt what to do, or how you can report such incidents, you may request a conversation with one of the following bodies, who are all bound by duties of confidentiality:

• Students: Student advisor, the student ombuds or SiT counselling services
• Staff: Your immediate supervisor, a union representative, HR-services or NTNU’s Occupational Health Services

Procedure for reporting deviations

It will be easier for the concerned unit to follow up on the case if you briefly describe in what way you have earlier tried to report the issue through regular channels. Then describe as accurately as possible what has happened, where it happened and how it happened. It is good if you also have concrete suggestions in terms of possible improvements or corrective measures. This is how you report a deviation in EQS:

• Go to NTNU’s SpeakUp!-portal and click on the tab «education quality and learning environment».
• Click the button «Report a deviation in education and learning environment». You will now enter a separate EQS tool website.
• Fill in all the fields that appear on the form. The form is dynamic and the choices you make while filling it in will affect the contents. Fields marked with a red star are mandatory, and must be filled in. The explanatory text that is connected to some fields will appear if you hover the mouse pointer over the ?-symbol.
• Choose “CATEGORY” according to what you want to report.
• When you have filled in all the fields, click on «REGISTER REPORT».
• You will shortly receive a receipt by e-mail with your case number, confirming that your report has been received and the estimated timeframe for case processing.
• You can follow the proceedings and the status of your cases in the EQS deviation system under “My messages” on the EQS website.

Further processing

• The deviation report is forwarded to your faculty based on your Feide-identity.
• The notification recipient at your faculty is responsible for assessing whether your case should be handled by the local unit and by who (case worker) or if it should be forwarded to another unit/case worker.
• Upon receipt of the report, the case worker will set a deadline for when the case is presumed completed and closed, which must be in accordance with the provisions of the Public Administration Act § 11a .
• You will receive an e-mail from “EQS NTNU” when your case is completed and closed.
• If your case is rejected, you will receive an e-mail from EQS NTNU explaining the reason for this.

See also

• Guidelines for notification, follow up and handling of deviations in education and learning environment
• Procedure for handling and follow-up of deviations in education and learning environments