PR campaign on university ombudsman proposed

The University Students' Council has suggested a public relations campaign to inform students about the role of the university ombudsman.

The campaign would also serve to build trust in the institution, it said yesterday.

A KSU survey recently found that only three per cent of students felt most comfortable complaining to the ombudsman, as compared to 67 per cent who feel most comfortable complaining to the KSU's own student representatives.

The university ombudsman recently reported that 117 student complaints were closed since 1998.

However, the KSU is concerned by the progressively decreasing numbers of students using his services. There were 74 complaints in 1999, 18 in 2000, 19 in 2001 and 16 in 2002.

The KSU was unconvinced by his reported statement that "perhaps the relative decline in the number of complaints... can be attributed to better appreciation... of the nature of the university ombudsman's functions or responsibilities".

"This is surprising considering that a recent KSU survey found that 43.5 per cent of students had never heard of the ombudsman and 96 per cent have no idea of the procedures for registering a complaint," it said, suggesting the campaign.

The KSU also called for further empowerment of the office of the ombudsman, or the creation of a new institution, so that complaints could be independently investigated and ruled upon, with such rulings being binding to all parties concerned.