Université de Sherbrooke Ombuds Posts 2026 Annual Report

UdeS Student Ombudsman Marie-Claude Laquerre, and Deputy Ombudsman, Stephanie McFarlandhave published the office's annual report for 2025-26. Laquerre reports that the office received 362 new requests and closed 357 files during the reporting period. Although the number of student cases declined by 10% from the prior year, the report attributes much of this decrease to lower international student enrollment associated with recent immigration-related challenges in Canada. At the same time, the office saw substantial increases in matters involving internships and clinical placements, as well as interpersonal conflicts and professionalism concerns. 

The report highlights the office's continued work to improve access to information, modernize operations, and strengthen awareness of procedural fairness across the university community. It also identifies student caregiving responsibilities as an emerging issue warranting institutional attention and recommends updating both the University's Ombuds policy and its 2001 Declaration of Student Rights and Responsibilities. In a noteworthy disclosure, the report states that Microsoft Copilot was used to assist with drafting and linguistic review, although the Ombuds retained responsibility for the content and final approval of the report. (uSherbrooke Ombuds 2025-26 Rapport.)

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