Introducing Waterloo’s New Ombuds Office!
We’re excited to share that the University of Waterloo has launched the new Ombudsperson Office! Whitney Barrett is joining the University of Waterloo community from Western, where she served in their Office of the Ombudsperson since 2020.
The establishment of this office follows years of advocacy from student leaders at WUSA and at the Graduate Student Association (GSA). The Ombuds Office is jointly funded by the University, WUSA, and the GSA. For a long time, the University of Waterloo was one of the only universities in Canada without an ombudsperson.
What’s an Ombuds Office and What Can They Help With?🏛️
This office is a resource that can provide confidential, fair, and independent help with student-related academic and non-academic issues.
The team will listen to your concerns, explain your rights and responsibilities, discuss possible options, and empower you to confidently navigate decision-making at Waterloo for both academic and non-academic issues!
Some examples of things they can support with include:
- Grievances, petitions, appeals
- Academic and non-academic discipline
- Housing and residence
- Interpersonal challenges
They can’t help with:
- Taking sides or adjudicating to decide who is right or who is wrong
- Handling non-student-life-related complaints
- Advocating for your specific case – they’re there to identify and provide recommendations for resolution on systemic issues
- Providing legal advice or counselling
- You can find a full list of supports for counselling or mental health support on our For When You Need Support page and legal support on our Student Legal Protection Program page
- Compelling actions or overturning decisions
How Did We Get Here?
It was the work of a number of student leaders since 2018 that pushed the University to reinstate this position! Thank you to past WUSA executives and officers, student representatives from the Committee of Student Mental Health, and the GSA for being instrumental in having the Ombuds Office return to the University. There are also a number of other students who have played a role in the return of this office, and we thank them for the support and commitment they’ve shown to improving student life at Waterloo. Among them are: Katie Arnold, Michael Beauchemin, Meghan Crouch, Benjamin Easton, Neela Hassan, Ayana Kawe, Abhiraj Lamba, Rory Norris, Chukwunonso Moneme, Nicholas Pfeifle, Ashley Ryan, Naima Naimat Samuel, Abbie Simpson, Megan Town, Richard Wu, Stephanie Ye-Mowe and Doug Ranton.
Contact
- 📧 uwombuds@uwaterloo.ca
- 📍3rd floor of the Student Life Centre
- 🌐Campus life | Current Students | University of Waterloo
Other Resources 🧰⚖️🏡
- Advocate’s Toolkit – WUSA Advocacy put together this guide provides practical tips and strategies to speak up for yourself effectively.
- Centre for Academic Policy Support (CAPS) – a confidential service run by students, for students, to help them navigate academic policy around filing petitions, grievances, and appeals.
- Student Legal Protection Program – WUSA partners with Studentcare to provide legal advice on any subject and representation on issues relating to academic rights, co-op and employment, and housing and tenancy.
- Tenancy Legal Sessions – WUSA partners with the Waterloo Region Community Legal Services to offer free legal support clinics relating to tenancy
