The Ombuds Blog: Australia Set to Create National Student Ombuds Program

September 13, 2024

Australia Set to Create National Student Ombuds Program

A package of legislating pending in the Australian parliament will establish a new National Student Ombudsman. The program will provide students with a federal mechanism to complain about higher education providers, especially cases of sexual assault and sexual harassment on university campuses.

A joint statement from the Education Minister and Attorney-General explained that the Ombudsman will be independent and impartial, and have strong powers to investigate student complaints and resolve disputes with higher education providers. The National Student Ombudsman is expected to begin taking complaints in February 2025. (Australian Govt Dept of Ed; The Mandarin.)

In many respects, the plan resembles the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, the Ombudsman for university students in England and Wales. Meanwhile, the impact on existing Ombuds at Australian universities is uncertain.

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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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