Under article 40 of the IPVC Statutes, the Student Ombuds’ mission is to “defend students’ rights and legitimate interests by developing actions in conjunction with the student associations, the IPVC’s bodies and services, and all the Institute’s schools.”

The Student Ombuds is responsible for defending and promoting them while observing the inalienable principles of independence, impartiality, and confidentiality.

IPVC Student Ombuds

Dra. Maria Flora Moreira da Silva Passos da Silva

Contacts
Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo
Provedor do Estudante
Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Álvares, n.º 34
4900-347 Viana do Castelo

T: +351 258 809 610 | F: +351 258 829 065
e-mail: provedordoestudante@ipvc.pt

The Student Ombuds is appointed by order of the IPVC President. Their main mission is to defend and promote IPVC students’ rights and legitimate interests, although they do not have decision-making authority.

Dear IPVC students,

As the Student Ombuds of this prestigious Higher Education Institution, it is my duty, first of all, to offer all students the warmest welcome and to wish you the best, most fruitful integration into this new educational community and the greatest academic success. I am certain that you will be able to intelligently and responsibly take advantage of this exceptional investment phase in scientific and technological knowledge, as well as cultural, human, and civic development, as a unique opportunity to face the future with hope and entrepreneurial motivation.

I also want to congratulate you for legally recognizing (Law No. 62/2007) the figure of the Student Ombuds as a body that promotes the dignity of students’ right to make claims and to protest against possible actions or inaction by the administration concerning the rights and legitimate interests of higher education students.

I am also honored that the Academic Federation recommended my name to the President of IPVC to give meaning to this important mission.

I will do everything to merit this distinction, and I am committed to exercising my mission as the ombuds independently, impartially, and confidentially by listening to your claims and otherwise, so as to promote the best relations between students and their associations and the institution’s bodies and services.

I wish and hope that you may find in me someone who will always be available to listen to you and, as a mediating, influential authority, to promote the resolution of conflicts that may infringe on your right to an education and cultural and civic training at a School that naturally promotes a mature, democratic society that respects individual and collective rights.

Whenever a student exhausts the institutional resources available for resolving administrative, academic, social, or other issues, they should appeal to the Student Ombuds.

As mediator of conflicting parties, the Ombuds is responsible for the following:

• Creating an environment for open, frank, informal, and impartial dialogue that reassures the student and ensures confidentiality
• Assessing complaints and claims and providing opinions and recommendations that may alter the situations and procedures that are infringing on the students’ rights
• Preparing an annual report for the Presidency to help develop prospective jurisprudence for the quality of the procedures and services.

The Ombuds serves as a mediator and does not have any decision-making authority. They cannot perform the following actions:

• Make decisions regarding the guilt or innocence of the conflicting parties
• Participate in formal litigation proceedings
• Annul the decisions of the statutory bodies

Aware of their rights and duties towards the institution, a student should never underestimate their ability to resolve their issues directly with the teaching staff, the program coordinator, the disciplinary group coordinator, the Councils, and the student support offices or the administration.

If the student is unable to resolve their issues in this way, they must appeal to the Ombuds in a timely manner so as to avoid unmanageable rifts with the entity involved in the conflict.

The student may schedule an interview with the IPVC Student Ombuds through the IPVC President’s Staff or via email or cell phone and agree upon a date and location with the Ombuds.

On the scheduled date, the student will arrive at IPVC Central Services, where they will be indicated to the meeting room.

If there are several requests from the same school, the Ombuds may also go to that school with the administration’s prior agreement.

After an informal conversation with the Ombuds and if there is no solution, the student must file a written claim by filling out a specific form which will include the following items:

1. The complainant’s identification: name, address, contact information, program, year, school
2. A description of the situation that they believe was an infringement of their rights and the respective intervening parties
3. An explanation of the underlying reasons as to why they feel their rights and legitimate interests have been violated
4. Signature and date