University ombudsmen in on-ground and online universities provide conflict resolution resources and problem-solving information to students and faculty seeking assistance to address academic integrity and social conduct conflicts. The problem examined in this qualitative, phenomenological study was that the professional and personal challenges of…

Scholars who analyse the policies that provide for the rights of international students have tended to focus on challenges posed by racism, discrimination and unjustified stereotyping. This discussion has focussed overwhelmingly on the higher education sector but recently has begun to be extended to vocational and training education (VET). We…

Plagiarism has been characterised as a "major problem" for universities. While tensions between students and universities are inevitable, the problem with the existing system of plagiarism management and prevention is that it operates to problematise the relationship between the university and the student, rather than address the core…

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…

Education estimates 430,000 new teachers will be needed by 2020. It administers three programs that may help attract and retain qualified teachers by helping them finance their education. However, little is known about the efficacy of these programs. GAO was asked to examine the TEACH Grant and two loan forgiveness programs. This report examines…

This article offers some suggestions regarding the development of a support strategy by ombudsmen in order to alleviate international students' difficulties when studying in host universities. It is also shown how the Organisational Justice Theory can be used as a framework for understanding the role of ombudsman in higher education settings and…

Access and affordability are the main themes of Goal 1 of The Virginia Plan for Higher Education. Progress toward these goals can be measured by a variety of means, but access and affordability serve as foundational guiding principles as the Commonwealth of Virginia crafts its annual and biennial higher-education budgets. Student-loan debt is but…

Handling appeals against grades is time consuming and requires allocation of resources away from the pursuit of activities such as instruction, research, and supervision of postgraduate students. This study examines grievance policies, frequencies, and outcomes of appeals at the University of California (UCB) and the University of Oslo (UIO). We…

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…

The Committee on University Governance was charged with the responsibility of conducting a new study of the University of New Mexico's governance and to recommend improvements. This report contains a discussion and recommendations relating to: (1) the creation of a University Community Council, including its functions, size and composition; (2)…

After briefly reviewing the history and characteristics of the office of the Ombudsman, the author discusses the establishment of that office at Michigan State University. The functions of the Ombudsman, who is to be appointed by the President from among the senior faculty are to establish procedures for receiving requests, complaints, and…

This report by the campus ombudsman at San Diego State College discusses in the preface some ways of approaching the position and the elements to be included in prospective job descriptions. The report begins with a description of the kind of person needed for such a position, how to establish the office and choose the man, the type of office…

Student clients (N=137) using the services of a campus ombudsman were asked to define the type of role that the ombudsman was perceived to have and should portray. Respondents in both instances saw the ombudsman's role in the traditional grievance man setting, or that of an impartial mediator. (Author)

Identified and examined the operations of 15 offices of the ombudsman in which the ombudsman is a student. Results showed students, faculty, and administration were generally satisfied with how the ombudsman duties were handled and agreed the program is effective in alleviating student frustration. (JAC)