Welcome to the Office of the Ombudsman at Algonquin College. Serving all three campuses and our distance education affiliates from other parts of the world, the office provides a safe space for students, faculty, and staff to seek advice and assistance, and for students to pursue the resolution of any college-related concern through an independent, impartial, and confidential process. The use of our services is voluntary and free to any member of the Algonquin College community.

Without advocating for either side of the parties involved in a disagreement, or disclosing your confidential discussions with us, we work with students, faculty, and staff to ensure the just, fair, and equitable treatment of every student. By using informal processes, we move away from simply assigning blame and seek resolutions and reasonable outcomes that serves the interest of all parties and also enriches the educational experience at Algonquin College.

The Office of the Ombudsman was established in 1979 and since 1987, the office has been funded equally by Algonquin College and the Algonquin College Students’ Association, without any compromise of the Ombudsman autonomy. The office continues to build on the goodwill, credibility and trust established by previous Ombudsman George E. Anderson and Hervé R. Depow. The Ombudsman reports to the Ombudsman Review Committee (ORC).

You can get in touch with us to seek information on College policies and procedures or if you do not know what your recourse is, how to proceed and/or to whom to talk to get help. You can also contact us to arrange a presentation or educational workshop(s) in an effort to promote a preventative perspective to resolving and managing disagreements.

Our office is located at the Ottawa campus (Student Commons Building – E112). Periodic visits are made to the Perth and Pembroke campuses and arrangements for confidential meetings at other locations will be made when warranted.

You can visit the Ombudsman during our regular office hours:

Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), excluding statutory holidays, or by appointment after-hours, if necessary. Walk-ins are welcome, however, the Ombudsman may not be able to see or speak with you if he is in a meeting with someone. It is suggested that you phone or email in advance to schedule an appointment.

Drop-in Hours: The Ombudsman maintains drop-in hours on Tuesdays (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EST) and Fridays (1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST). Drop-in hours is usually meant for people who have a quick question, want to know more about the role of the Ombudsman, and/or need to schedule an appointment.

Notary Public Hours (Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST): The Ombudsman provides notary services to students and other members of Algonquin College on Thursdays (9:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m. EST). This includes certifying true copies of original documents, swearing or affirming documents that are to be used in or outside Ontario, administering your oath, passport-statutory declaration, witness your signature, affidavits, and other notary services. This is a free service to members of the Algonquin College community. Walk-ins are welcome, however, it is strongly suggested that you phone or email in advance to schedule an appointment because the Ombudsman may not be able to provide this service to you if he is scheduled to meet with someone else.

You may contact the Ombudsman by:

Email: ombuds@algonquincollege.com
Phone (confidential line): (613) 727 4723 Ext. 5306
Fax (confidential line): (613) 727 7708

Mail:

Office of the Ombudsman
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Avenue (Student Commons Building – E112)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K2G 1V8

Note:

Email is not a secure medium for sharing confidential information.