In December 2014, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) introduced the "Good practice framework for handling complaints and academic appeals" which will inform external judgement on each university's approach to conflict management from the current academic year 2015-2016. The framework aims to improve the complaint process for higher education student complainants. However, based on the outcomes of one of the few empirical studies researching students' complaints, the author argues that it is the wider experience for complainants that must be addressed and to do so effectively the sector must change the culture of concern surrounding complaints and recognise the vulnerability of a student body that expects guidance in all aspects of its engagement with the university. A positive institutional stance that seeks to learn from complaints and assumes a proactive approach to student communication will support both earlier conflict resolution and an improving experience for students in a scenario where academic failure now has lifetime ramifications in respect of future employment.