What is the Junior Ombudsperson?
What is the Junior Ombudsperson?
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 |
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
