Ombudsoffice: a direct impact on QA of Ghent University

Nathalie DepoorterLuc Van de Poele

Institutional Ombuds Office Ghent University ombuds@UGent.be

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

A short introduction

1817Inauguration of Ghent University

Latin is the language of tuition

1830Belgian independenceFrench becomes the language of tuition

1876-1890Research becomes an important responsibility

1930Dutch becomes the language of tuition

1991Larger autonomy

State University Ghent becomes Ghent University 2003

Ghent University Association

2013Inegration of academic programmes university

collegesStart of Ghent University, Campus Kortrijk 2014

Start of Ghent University Global Campus in South Korea

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Location

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Faculties

11 faculties• Managed by the dean and

the faculty board• Divided in departments

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Education

Total number of students 40.834

Education

Total number of students 40.834

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Ombuds@UGent: a brief history

Installed in 1988 Ombudsperson = head of

educational quality assurance office Office: pillar of the QA (not juridical) Faculty ombudsperson

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

What do we do? Two tasks

COMPLAINTS

Complaints/questions regarding the EEC Legal position of students ‘unfair’ situations experienced by students within the EEC

framework

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

What do we do?

INTERNAL APPEALS

Examination decisions Examination-related disciplinary decisions APEL-procedure Binding conditions for enrolment Refusal of enrolment Refusal of facilities for students with special status due to

functional impairment.

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

What don’t we do?

Housing troubles Complaints about student meals Personal problems …

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Procedure: ombuds

Student

formulates

complaint

Ombuds office

investigation. If necessary information is gained at

other departments

(need to know vs nice

to know!)

Ombuds answer to

the student AND

If applicable: advise to the QA office

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Procedure: internal appeal

Internal appeal to the Rector

Ombuds: formalities

and gathering of all relevant documents

Proposal of decision presented to the IAC

IAC decides. Ombuds finalizes

document + informs the

parties involved

Advise of the IAC is taking into account

in QA process

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Impact of ombuds on educational quality assurance Expertise in EEC-working group: bottlenecks, indistinctness

are detected trough ombuds/internal appeal Advising faculties regarding quality assurance process:

concrete advise f.i. oral examination, ECTS course sheet Involved in writing quality reports (f.i. postgraduate

programs, master theses) based on expertise Workshops regarding do’s and don’ts as a teacher Annual Ombudsday for all ombudspersons at GU

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Ombuds Office: a picture says more than a thousand words…

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Case 1: APEL-procedure

Student achieves credit at UA for statistics (3ects) Ba2: comes to Ghent and wants to be exempted

for the ‘statistics and information course’ (5 ects) Exemption is refused:

≠ ECTS credits Course UA not on the same level as UG course

Correct or not?

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Decision IAC

Not correct! After investigating the course sheets at UA and UG the

final learning outcomes were so similar that a refusal of exemption was not fair in a juridical way.

Ombuds advised the professor involved to rewrite the course sheet with special attention for the actual learning outcomes that are tested

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Case 2

Ma-student archeology is witness to a severe accident on internship site in Jordan

Doesn’t speak the language, miscommunication, cultural differences

Half a year later, the student starts to experience severe anxiety attacks

Comes to us six years after he graduated What can we do?

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Case 2: what we did

Personal discussion with student Personal discussion with UGent staff

member Complaint longer than one year ago… Guidelines for internships abroad on how

to deal with unexpected circumstances.

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University

Nathalie Depoorter - Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office - Ghent University