Office of the Ombudsman
Welcome to the Office of the Ombudsman at Algonquin College. Serving all three campuses and our distance education affiliates from other parts of the world, the office provides a safe space for students, faculty, and staff to seek advice and assistance, and for students to pursue the resolution of any college-related concern through an independent, impartial, and confidential process. The use of our services is voluntary and free to any member of the Algonquin College community.
Without advocating for either side of the parties involved in a disagreement, or disclosing your confidential discussions with us, we work with students, faculty, and staff to ensure the just, fair, and equitable treatment of every student. By using informal processes, we move away from simply assigning blame and seek resolutions and reasonable outcomes that serves the interest of all parties and also enriches the educational experience at Algonquin College.
The Office of the Ombudsman was established in 1979, and since 1987, the office has been funded equally by Algonquin College and the Algonquin College Students’ Association, without any compromise of the Ombudsman’s autonomy. The office continues to build on the goodwill, credibility and trust established by previous Ombudsman George E. Anderson and Hervé R. Depow. The Ombudsman reports to the Ombudsman Review Committee (ORC).
You can get in touch with us to seek information on College policies and procedures or if you do not know what your recourse is, how to proceed and/or to whom to talk to get help. You can also contact us to arrange a presentation or educational workshop(s) in an effort to promote a preventative perspective to resolving and managing disagreements.