The Student Ombudsman is a University body that aims to raise students' awareness of their right to get a quality, efficient and respectful public service and also to encourage them to participate in the improvement of this service through their personal commitment and critical thinking.
The office of the Student Ombudsman was created in 2007 by the Legal Regulation of Higher Education Institutions in 2007 and is in place at the University of Coimbra since 2009. It is a body without administrative, deliberative, executive or disciplinary purpose.
The main mission of the Student Ombudsman is to ensure the respect for the rights and legitimate interests of the students of the University of Coimbra, through an independent, impartial and confidential action.
When the Student Ombudsman becomes aware of a fact that might jeopardise those rights or legitimate interests, through communication from students, their representatives, or by any other credible means, he/she shall seek to gather substantiated evidence of such practices and to take the necessary steps to clarify or solve the problem, through formal and informal mediation with the various parties involved.
Furthermore, the Student Ombudsman should also recommend the necessary changes to improve the regulations and the services provided by the University, according to the messages conveyed individually or collectively by the students, or on his/her own initiative.
The duties of the Student Ombudsman are defined by the Regulation of the Student Ombudsman of the University of Coimbra.
