Abertay University has been told it failed to carry out a proper inquiry after a student claimed she was bullied.
The woman was signed off by her GP and had to temporarily abandon her studies. She took her case to the Scottish public services ombudsman (SPSO) because she believed the university had not followed the correct procedures after she raised her complaint, and had not offered her reasonable care in terms of its mental welfare policy.
The ombudsman’s report said: “Our investigation found that the university should have dealt with the complaint of bullying under its dealing with harassment policy, but did not do so.
“It was investigated under the student disciplinary code and no evidence was found to discipline any student.
“Our investigation concluded that there had been confusion over which procedure should have been followed and that the university had failed to fully investigate the harassment allegation.”
The ombudsman said Abertay had not given due regard to the student as a potential victim of harassment and to the potential harmful effect on her wellbeing.
There was no evidence of her being offered support and practical assistance by the university.
An Abertay spokesman said: “Since the ruling, we have reviewed our procedures to take account of the issues raised.”