Any student may approach the ombudsofficer regarding a question, report or complaint, of whatever nature, about the behaviour of another student, employee or part of the organisation. Ombudsofficer Aukje Verstegen explains how she can help you.
How can the ombudsofficer help students?
“As student ombudsofficer, I want to make sure that the campus is a safe environment for everyone. As a student, you can contact me, for example, if you feel that you have been treated unfairly by your faculty or by a staff member, if you feel that your rights have been violated or if there are university facilities that are inaccessible to you. We can then take a look at how I can help you: I can offer a sympathetic ear or mediate between students and university staff members, for example. In extreme cases, I may also decide to launch an independent investigation when a complaint has been made.
Of course, there are also confidential advisors for students at the university. While we can largely help with the same things, there is also an important difference between us. Confidential advisors are biased, because they always take the side of the person who is making the complaint. They look at the best way to tackle the problem from the complainant’s perspective. In contrast to confidential advisors, ombudsofficer like myself are unbiased. That means that I can play a neutral, mediating role between the complainant and the organisation. Following agreement, I can also refer you to a confidential advisor if this is a more suitable option.
When I talk about a safe campus for everyone, I’m not only referring to the complainant who has sought my help, but also to the person against whom the complaint has been directed. A complaints procedure can have quite a serious impact. My main focus is therefore to defuse the situation before things get any worse. But I cannot do this by myself; it is a responsibility that everyone must bear.
I have discovered that when there is a conflict, people often say afterwards: ‘We need to communicate better with each other and talk more frequently.’ But is this what we actually do? And what does this type of conversation involve? I really wish that people were more curious about each other. The truth is that when it comes to mediation talks, one of the things that I regularly see is that the situation can be quickly diffused if there is a bit more mutual interest and understanding. And that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
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