Student Ombud
The Student Ombud is an independent assistance person who can advise you as a student on what legal rights you have in relation to your study situation at Volda University College (HVO). All students at HVO can get help from the Student Ombud.
The Volda University College has a joint agreement with the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) on the Student Ombud service, so that the Student Ombud for HVL is also a Student Ombud for HVO.
What can the Student Ombud do for you?
Advising:
- Give advice on what legal rights you have as a student
- Give you guidance on how to proceed with your case
- Make sure your case is being properly dealt with
Mediation:
- Be a neutral party in the meeting between you as student and the university college employees*
Information:
- Provide courses and training to student representatives
- Present lectures on student rights
Unfortunately, the Student Ombud cannot:
- Assist you in situations that do not apply to your study situation (ask if you are in doubt)
- Take party or be a representative of you in your case
- Review or be the appellate body for a case decided
* Mediation is only used under special circumstances and requires the consent of both the student and the employee.
Your rights as a student
In relation to your study situation, you have a range of various rights as a student. You also have a number of obligations that constitute the foundation of your rights, such as your obligation to pay semester fees. The Volda University College regulations on admission, studies, and exams as well as the general University and University College Act include the majority of your rights and obligations.
The Student Associations Act and the Regulation Codes on Student Associations contain additional unique rights that you have as a student. For example financial debts and some specific conditions of the Housing Rent Act, for people who reside in student accommodation.
Volda University College is also subject to a number of general laws and regulations, which make you, as a service recipient, having rights in relation to your interactions with the university college. The Public Administration Act, the Public Administration Code Regulations, and the Freedom of Information Act are just a few of the regulations that apply to the university as an administrative body. All people in society must abide by the three equality and anti-discrimination acts regarding sexual orientation, accessibility, and ethnicity, religion, and philosophy on life. Finally, it may be worth mentioning that some courses at the university college are covered by national curricular frameworks. A national regulation on suitability assessment in higher education is also in place for courses where you might interact with those in a less favourable posistion.
You can ask the Student Ombud for assistance if you as a student are having issues with circumstances surrounding your study situation and feel that it would be too difficult for you to understand anything listed above. The main obligation of the Student Ombud is to advise and assist you as a student in matters pertaining to your rights. You can also get in touch with a student representative if you encounter harassment or any other unfavourable circumstances while conducting your studies.
Contact information
The Student Ombud's services are available to all students at Volda University College.
If you want to get in touch with the Student Ombud, you can send an e-mail to studentombodet@hivolda.no or call (+47) 57 72 25 05 (office) or (+47) 458 47 150 (mobile).
Annual reports
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