Helping students seek their rights

Photo/Helga Lind Mar

Translation: Katrín le Roux Viðarsdóttir

Guðjón Björn Guðbjartsson serves as ombudsman on the Student Council this school year. A Student Paper reporter met up with Guðjón at the Student Council’s office on the third floor of the University Centre, and they talked about what the ombudsman position entails and the importance of fighting for student interests.

Ombudsman mediates

“The ombudsman job involves ensuring that students’ rights are honoured. If there are any questions or doubts about their rights, students often come to me, and I will then communicate with departments and teachers on their behalf or advise them when it comes to doubts as to whether their rights are being respected,” says Guðjón Björn when asked about what it means to hold the job of ombudsman. The Student Paper asks Guðjón why he decided to run for ombudsman, and he says the reason is he finds his strengths line up well with the job. “I think I’m quite skilled at mediation. I also see red when someone's rights are being violated, so I felt this was an ideal role for me,” he adds.

Guðjón says he often gets comments about poorly organized courses, for example when there is too much course material for the credit load. “There are also many complaints about professors denying students access to old exams, and it’s common that the instruction doesn’t quite match up with the course catalogue or syllabus. These are the common themes, but there are unique cases that don’t come up very often,” says Guðjón when our reporter asks him what issues are of most concern to students.

Students granted access to old exams

When asked what he thinks are the most important aspects of the fight for student interests, Guðjón says it’s important for students to dare to make their voices heard and protest adversity and injustice. He also points out that a great many things can be changed if students raise their voices and fight with determination.

Next, our reporter asks whether Guðjón thinks the university is doing enough to meet students' needs. Guðjón thinks many teachers are prepared to meet students halfway, even though he might hear examples to the contrary more often. “But it’s often the same cases that come up and often within the same departments, so perhaps there should be more supervision to ensure that the same problems don’t come up again and again. We can do much better, for instance regarding students’ rights to access old exams. There are quite a few professors who do not follow this rule, even though the Parliament Ombudsman ruled that students should have the right to access old exams. Instead, it often happens that students are forced to choose between seeing the old exams, but then the new exam will be harder or the format altered, or not seeing the old exams, in which case the new exam will be similar to previous years. There could be more follow-through, and the university could react more strongly to this issue. It’s unacceptable that students are being denied their rights or directed to forfeit them,” Guðjón remarks.

Important to ensure students’ rights are respected

Guðjón says it’s important that the Student Council has an ombudsman in the office, and he says that the number of issues brought to the ombudsman grows every year. “There are so many rules and regulations that students often don’t have the means to familiarize themselves with all of them. That’s why it’s important they have someone they can look to for advice, someone with expertise in these matters. Professors know what they can and can’t do, but students aren’t as read up on that, which is very understandable. When I was a student, I myself wasn’t all that familiar with the rules and laws that govern the university’s operations and that instructors have to follow. That’s why it’s very important that the Student Council offers these services to ensure students’ rights aren’t being violated and perpetrators are held accountable.” Guðjón adds that the ombudsman position mostly involves advising students and even being in contact with departments or individual instructors to resolve issues.

When asked what he finds most surprising about the job, Guðjón says all kinds of cases arise, cases he couldn’t imagine: “But that’s understandable; there are about 13,000 students and 4,000 faculty members at the university. It is to be expected that all kinds of issues arise in a workplace that big. But it’s great that in general, all parties involved want these cases resolved so that everyone is satisfied with the outcome.” Guðjón also says the most fun part of the job is being able to help students know their rights. “If students’ rights are being violated, students should get confirmation that there is indeed a problem, and departments should acknowledge their mistakes and do something to make amends. It’s important that cases be dealt with correctly so that things will change for the better. It’s really fun to watch that happen.”