OMBUDS OFFICE

The Ombuds Office is:

• Independent of all the administrative structures of the university
• Confidential
• Impartial
• Accessible to members of the university community

For more information:

What the Ombuds Office does

• Provides information about existing policies, rules and procedures and makes suggestions about the appropriate avenue to follow to address concerns and complaints
• Assists community members to resolve concerns and complaints both quickly and informally
• Conducts an independent and objective inquiry of a complaint once the usual avenues have been exhausted
• Recommends solutions to help resolve concerns and conflicts
• Recommends improvements to university policies, rules and procedures that are unclear or unfair

What the Ombuds Office cannot do

• Act as an advocate and automatically take one side in a conflict
• Intervene in situations where a procedure already exists
• Deal with matters covered by a collective agreement
• Intervene in conflicts involving companies, organizations or individuals outside the university (but can often provide information or referral)
• Intervene in situations where we judge our involvement to be inappropriate
• Impose a decision

How to consult the Ombuds Office

You can:

• Complete our intake form
• Contact us at ombuds@concordia.ca or call us at 514-848-2424, ext. 8658 for any questions
• Visit us via virtual drop-in (Zoom) on Mondays from 1 to 2 p.m.

About the virtual Zoom drop-in session:

• It is for intake purposes and to provide help with filling out your request for assistance.
• The session lasts 60 minutes and everyone gets 10 minutes, one-on-one with the department assistant.
• Log in at 1 p.m. and you’ll be placed in a waiting room. The department assistant will get to you when it’s your turn.
• It's exactly like dropping by the Ombuds Office, but virtually.

Note:

Services are available in English and in French and are free of charge. We are always pleased to answer questions. Remember, the sooner you get information about a problem that you may be having, the easier it will be to resolve.

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