What is the ombudsperson?

The ombudsperson of SNU is established in order to effectively address grievances from the members of SNU due to many different causes such as unreasonable system, insufficient physical facilities, inappropriate cultural environment, or disputes among the university members. It is based on an ombudsman system, in which an official is appointed to investigate and resolve citizens’ complaints regarding the administration.

What does an ombudsperson do?

We help to address concerns and conflicts that are hard to confide or difficult to tackle alone. For example, if you are having a hard time with an unreasonable school system or conflicts arising among colleagues at your lab or office, you are always welcome to seek help from the ombudsperson. By listening to concerns of our members, the ombudsperson aims to create human rights friendly campus for all.

Organization

The ombudsperson of SNU is constituted of former and current faculty members who are not only equipped with professional knowledge and experience in human rights issues and university administration, but also can perform related tasks fairly.

Currently, the following three faculty members are taking up the role of the ombudsperson.

– Lee, Jang Gyu, Professor Emeritus (College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) / Chief Ombudsperson

– Lee, Joon Koo, Professor Emeritus (College of Social Science, Department of Economics) / Ombudsperson

– Kim, Heui Baik, Professor Emeritus (College of Education, Department of Biology Education) / Ombudsperson

What is the Junior Ombudspersion?

Junior Ombudspersons constitute a group of graduate students who serve as human rights defenders and advisors for institutional improvement. Graduate students who demonstrate a high level of sensitivity to human rights issues and a commitment to addressing them are presented with the opportunity to collaborate with ombudsperson professors in examining unreasonable systems and practices on campus and identifying effective strategies for institutional improvement. Beginning in 2022, approximately seven graduate students are selected as Junior Ombudspersons on a bi-annual basis to serve for a period of four months (Apr.-Aug. or Oct.-Feb.).

Roles	Key Activities
Human Rights Defender	Participate in human rights education, including sexual harassment prevention
	Participate in leadership training, including communication and facilitation training
	Identify and examine infringements of vulnerable and minority rights on campus.
	Discuss ways to protect the rights and interests of vulnerable and minority groups on campus
System Improvement Advisory Group	Discuss cases of unreasonable systems on campus
System Improvement Advisory Group	Discuss potential avenues for improving the system

Featured past activities include:

– Planning and holding institutional improvement meetings for foreign students

– Organized and held a meeting on grievance handling procedures on campus

– Surveying and analyzing online community hate speech

– Conducted a project on how to protect minority rights on campus

Function

– The ombudsperson investigates and handles complaints, provides consultation, and seeks a solution for complaints and related human rights violations.
– The ombudsperson conducts research and surveys on complaints and system improvement. We also make suggestions and voice our opinion to relevant departments and institution within SNU.
– In addition, we carry out other necessary work to improve related administrative systems, etc.

Steps

– Accepting complaints: We consult and receive complaints from SNU members.
– Fact-finding: We ask the parties concerned with the complaint to provide an explanation or related data.
– Remedies: Mediation process can be conducted between the parties upon request or ex officio. We make a suggestion and voice our opinion to the President of SNU and/or the head of the relevant department.
– Notification of results: The complainant will be notified of how the ombudsperson addressed his or her complaint.

Remedies

– The Ombudsperson suggests the President of SNU or the head of the relevant department to correct its illegal or unfair dealing or unreasonable administrative system which has caused the complaint.
– If it is recognized that the complaint has a merit, the ombudsperson express its views on behalf of the complainant to the President or to the head of the related department.
– If it is deemed necessary to improve the administrative system, etc., the ombudsperson makes suggestions or delivers an opinion to the President or the head of the related department.
– If there is any concern of increasing damage due to continuing human rights violations, the ombudsperson requests interim measures such as immediate cessation of the human rights violation, spatial separation, and other necessary measures to secure the safety of the victim.

Forwarding the case

– If the ombudsperson’s case is deemed more appropriate to be handled by the counseling office of the Human Rights Center, we may forward the case to the counseling office.