Ombudsoffice: a direct impact on QA of Ghent University Nathalie Depoorter Luc Van de Poele Institutional Ombuds Office Ghent University [email protected]
Dec 21, 2015
Ombudsoffice: a direct impact on QA of Ghent University
Nathalie DepoorterLuc Van de Poele
Institutional Ombuds Office Ghent University [email protected]
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