This Policy Paper aims at analysing the most important aspects of Public Responsibility, Financing and Governance of Higher Educations while seeking to formulate a students perspective on the state of play within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In doing so it touches upon the very foundation of how and in which socio-political…

This article explores the issues facing practitioners working in the field of student complaints and appeals (including academic appeals). It is a reflective study which examines some general and historical issues, using anonymised case studies where appropriate and highlighting the diversity of practice across the sector. The author observes that…

Describes the concepts and histories of ombudsmen and of case management. Discusses the advocacy role in social work which includes the dimensions of role specificity, client orientation, problem-solving mode, and resources and constraints. Concludes ombudsmen and case managers augment the advocacy function in the human service system. (ABL)

From a learner's standpoint, Scotland's education system often looks less like a neat set of pathways than a tangled jungle. Since devolution, Scottish policymakers and the education community have set out to create a coherent and transparent set of opportunities for adult learners, of a quality to match Scotland's oft-praised unified system of…

Maintains that investigations of abuse of children in group care settings rely heavily on ex post facto interviewing of children and staff. Describes the role of the child advocate, or ombudsmen, in guaranteeing children's rights in the treatment center. Discusses indices of plausibility as the basis for reliable inferences in the absence of…

Regarding the proper role of church and state relationships in education, mediating structures in England, Scotland, and New Zealand are discussed. Mediating structures stand between the individual and public institutions to expand government services without producing government oppressiveness, maintain social values, and empower the people in…

Notes that effective advocacy for children must build bridges between those who know most about and care most for children, those who are the powerful, and policymakers whose decisions affect the children's lives. Suggests that state-based, statewide child advocacy programs are most efficient and most effective. (ET)

Many people in our society turn to courts for the resolution of every problem. By delegating to judges the authority to declare our legal rights we diminish our individual and collective liberties. This trend of legalism can have important consequences for school administrators. Rather than resist or evade the law, school officials can obviate…

The problems brought to the Ombudsman Office at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are considered. Many of the questions brought to the Ombudsman Office concern grades and grading practices, but nonacademic problems are also questioned. Many of the problems are the result of misinformation having been given to the student. Patronizing or rude…

Establishment of an office of state ombudsman to resolve faculty disputes at state-supported institutions is recommended. The education ombudsman would have no decision-making authority but would have strong recommendation power, and would be free of internal institutional politics. (MSE)

The article explores two types of grievance systems widely utilized in the American public school system: code grievance systems and alternative structures. (RLV)

The current debate about the future of health care has obscured the impact of democratization on social service organizations. This article advances some preliminary notions about democratization of health care, in terms of financing services, community-based agencies, client-based intervention, citizen advocates, and cultural supports. (DR)