OMBUDS OFFICE

The Ombuds Office is:

• Independent of all the administrative structures of the university
• Confidential
• Impartial
• Accessible to members of the university community

For more information please read our Terms of Reference.

What the Ombuds Office does

• Provides information about existing policies, rules and procedures and makes suggestions about the appropriate avenue to follow to address concerns and complaints
• Assists community members to resolve concerns and complaints both quickly and informally
• Conducts an independent and objective inquiry of a complaint once the usual avenues have been exhausted
• Recommends solutions to help resolve concerns and conflicts
• Recommends improvements to university policies, rules and procedures that are unclear or unfair

What the Ombuds Office cannot do

• Act as an advocate and automatically take one side in a conflict
• Intervene in situations where a procedure already exists
• Deal with matters covered by a collective agreement
• Intervene in conflicts involving companies, organizations or individuals outside the university (but can often provide information or referral)
• Intervene in situations where we judge our involvement to be inappropriate
• Impose a decision

How to consult the Ombuds Office

You can:

• Call us at 514-848-2424, ext. 8658
• Email us with a completed intake form
• Visit us via virtual drop-in (Zoom) on Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. How it works:
  • This is for intake purposes and to provide help with filling out your request for assistance.
  • The session lasts 60 minutes and everyone gets 10 minutes, one-on-one with the department assistant.
  • Log in at 2 p.m. and you’ll be placed in a waiting room. The department assistant will get to you when it’s your turn.
  • It's exactly like dropping by the Ombuds Office, but virtually.

Our services are available in English and in French and are free of charge. We are always pleased to answer questions. Remember, the sooner you get information about a problem that you may be having, the easier it will be to resolve.

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