The Ombuds Blog: University of Bergen Unveils Student Ombuds Program

August 20, 2015

University of Bergen Unveils Student Ombuds Program

UiB (Universitetet i Bergen) has appointed Sylvi Leirvaag to serve as its Student Ombuds (studentombud), becoming the fifth university in Norway to do so since February 2013. She will serve as a confidential resource for more than 14,500 students. UiB's Rector said that the hiring process took a long time because the university wanted to be thorough and end up with the best candidate. Leirvaag started earlier this week.

Leirvaag has a variety of experience in management, employment, and legal affairs. Most recently, she managed an organization that provided rehabilitation, education, and housing for deaf, blind, and hard of hearing. She graduated from and earned a Master of Law from UiB. (Studvest; LinkedIn.)

Related posts: Meet University of Oslo’s First Student Ombuds; Oslo and Akershus University College Names First Ombuds; University of Stavanger Opens Ombuds Office; University of Tromsø Names First Ombuds.

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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