Student Ombudsman

IPCA has a Student Ombudsman whose main role is to defend the rights and legitimate interests of students. The Student Ombudsman is appointed by the President of the IPCA, on the proposal of the Academic Association, from among professional IPCA teachers with at least 5 years of teaching experience in higher education.

The Student Ombudsman is responsible for carrying out the activities and initiatives he/she deems appropriate for the proper fulfilment of his/her mandate, namely:

  1. To support and promote the integration of students at IPCA, particularly with a view to promoting academic success;
  2. To assess complaints made by students, to act in collaboration with the competent bodies and services and to make recommendations;
  3. To carry out such investigations, hearings and endeavours as it may deem necessary or expedient and to adopt such procedures as do not conflict with the legitimate rights and interests of students, teaching and non-teaching staff;
  4. To formulate opinions on any matter relating to its activities or at the request of the bodies of IPCA or its schools;
  5. To be consulted prior to the adoption of regulations relating to academic activities, such as regulations governing enrolment, assessment and annual passes, scholarships, examination timetables;
  6. To establish and maintain a database of cases, complaints and claims made by students in order to ascertain the nature of complaints/proceedings and their outcome;
  7. To prepare an annual report on the activities carried out;
  8. To cooperate with the competent bodies and services in order to find the most appropriate solutions for the legitimate interests of students.

The Student Ombudsman does not have the power to annul, revoke or modify the acts of the competent bodies, but can make recommendations to them, to teaching staff and to students.