Presentation

Student Ombudsperson

Professor Maria Antónia de Jesus is the Student Ombudsperson of ISCTE. The Student Ombudsperson is an independent body whose function is to defend and promote the rights and legitimate interests of students enrolled at Iscte.

The Student Ombudsperson is appointed by the Rector, following a proposal from the Pedagogical Council, after consulting the Student Association, from among individuals who are not effectively exercising their functions at Iscte.

The Student Ombudsperson is responsible for evaluating students' presentations on pedagogical and social action matters and related administrative matters and directing the necessary recommendations to the competent bodies to prevent and repair illegalities or injustices and improve procedures in these matters.

The Ombudsperson's activities are carried out in conjunction with the Pedagogical Council, the Student Association and the Social Action Services, under the terms set out in the Student Ombudsman Regulation, approved by the General Council.

Confidentiality

The Student Ombudsperson as well as employees comply with the duty of confidentiality under the law, regarding information relating to the privacy and private life of the people involved in the process. Such information will also be excluded from the annual activity report.

Collaboration

All bodies, organic teaching and research units and services have the duty to provide the collaboration, clarifications and information that the Student Ombudsperson requires from them to carry out their functions and the duty to speak out and make known the position they adopt about the recommendations received, to the Student Ombudsperson and interested parties.

The Student Ombudsperson has the authority to set a written deadline for satisfying all requests made with a note of urgency.

Unjustified failure to comply with the duty of collaboration and cooperation provided for in the previous paragraphs constitutes an act of disobedience subject to disciplinary proceedings.

The Student Ombudsperson may also request information from the Iscte Student Association and others, as well as from any student to whom the case is of interest or related and request their presence for a hearing, through the competent bodies, being absence will be considered if the hearing coincides with academic activities.

What the Student Ombudsperson can do

Without prejudice to the powers attributed to other Iscte bodies and services, the Student Ombudsperson is responsible for:

Appreciate student participation or presentations on pedagogical and social action subjects and related administrative matters;
Formulate recommendations on the actions to be developed and the measures to be taken, with the competent bodies, as a result of the analysis of the issues submitted to it, with a view to preventing and repairing illegalities or injustices and increasing the level of satisfaction of those who study at Iscte.

What the Student Ombudsperson cannot do

Annul, revoke or modify the acts of the statutorily competent bodies;
Suspend the course of any deadlines, namely those for complaints, hierarchical appeals or the exercise of any other rights;
Act on scientific matters, concrete results of school evaluation and on ongoing disciplinary processes in which students participate as defendants or complainants.

Initiative

Students individually or collectively through participation or exhibitions;
From the Student Ombudsperson regarding facts that come to their attention

Participation or exhibition requirements

Written presentation (letter or email), with the personal details of the person presenting them and a summary of the alleged facts;
Submission within a maximum period of six months counting from the date of the practice of the acts to which it is the subject, or knowledge of it.

Preliminary Assessment

Participations or exhibitions that prove to be devoid of any basis are rejected outright, in the following circumstances:

Do not meet the requirements previously described;
Are not intelligible or substantiated or are presented in obvious bad faith;
The relevance of the acts is clearly insufficient;
The deadline for the acts to which it is the subject has been exceeded;
The Student Ombudsperson has already commented on the subject of the participation or exhibition;
When it does not fall within the scope of the Student Ombudsperson’s competences;
When participations or exhibitions are not presented in accordance with the formal requirements, the Student Ombudsperson will request their correction within ten working days, only proceeding once they have been duly corrected.

In any of the foreseen situations, the Student Ombudsperson will notify the student in writing of his decision.

Process Steps

Admissibility;
Opening of the process;
Instructive measures (finding the facts);
Prior hearing of the parties involved;
Conclusions and recommendations to competent bodies;
Communication of recommendations to the bodies and services involved as well as to students subscribing to the exhibition or participation;
Response of the bodies involved to the recommendations made;
Report preparation.

Archiving

Exhibitions or participations in which:

If there is no basis or sufficient elements to adopt any procedure;
Are not within the competence of the Student Ombudsperson;
The alleged illegality, injustice or irregularity has already been repaired;
There is a lack of attendance by the student presenting the exhibition or participation.