Ombudsman oversees universities and colleges within the province
Students who are looking for support through their post-secondary education have another avenue to turn to with the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman now having oversight over the province’s colleges and universities. In January 2016, the Ontario Ombudsman began taking concerns and complaints about Ontario’s post-secondary institutions. So far this year, the office has received 171 complaints, many of which have been resolved, about Ontario’s publicly funded universities, from issues such as financial aid and admissions, to services offered to students. The purpose of the Ombudsman—for all infrastructural services, not just education—is to guarantee that public sector bodies, whether they are crown corporations, boards, commissions or agencies, are following their respective mandates, and the laws set out by both the provincial and federal government. The Office of the Ombudsman acts as a watchdog and whistleblowing service that is not constrained by partisan politics.
Ashley Bursey, manager of communications for the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario explained in an email to the press that “a lot of students aren’t aware of our new jurisdiction,” which could mean that these students are unaware of what the Office of the Ombudsman does and the reason for contacting them.
The Ombudsman should be viewed as a last resort and students should approach their own university’s offices first if they have a complaint about matters affecting their education. Bursey states that the Ombudsman is “able to address university issues after the person contacting us has already tried existing complaint mechanisms,” and not as a first response to any problems a student may be facing.
The Office of the Ombudsman acts as an office of review as well, looking at the decision made by a university, and deciding whether the initial resolution is adequate in fulfilling the needs of the student.
The other setrvice now offered by the Ontario Ombudsman, has a wider scope than individual complaints from students. The Ombudsman now also has the authority to look into systemic issues, and trends of complaints, that are “affecting multiple universities, and launch systemic investigations, if needed,” according to Bursey. As of the time of publication, there has not yet been a need for a full systemic investigation, but the Ombudsman would be the office to go to if such a need arises.
The website for the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman features both a section for students looking to posit a grievance against their university, as well as a section for staff and faculty. This page includes the initial announcement, made Jan. 6, 2016, about the Ombudsman now servicing post-secondary institutions, and a series of frequently asked questions for students and staff. Bursey states that the resources provided to college institutions in Ontario are quite similar to those provided to university students.
With the powers of the Ombudsman’s Office now encompassing the overseeing of post-secondary institutions, it’s important for students at the University of Guelph to know which organizations they can turn to if they feel they are not being heard.
Image by Mariah Bridgeman.