The annual report of The University of Western Ontario ombudsperson suggests improvements are needed in academic accommodation for students with disabilities and to provide more administrative support for graduate students experiencing problems with their supervisors.
Most of the concerns addressed at the office relate to grade issues, however University Ombudsperson Adrienne Clarke decided to focus the 2008-09 annual report on these particular issues because they require a more integrated approach across the university to find solutions.
“They are indicative of a pattern or an issue that continually arises and appears to be systemic in nature,” says Clarke.
The report also includes case studies demonstrating the types of issues brought to the office and gives a sense of how such a situation might be handled.
Clarke points to an increasing number of complaints from students with disabilities concerned with their privacy and dignity being respected by instructors.
For example, students said instructors made reference to the student’s disability and need for accommodation in front of other students. As well, instructors asked intrusive questions about the student’s need for accommodation or probed additional information about the disability, which the student wasn’t comfortable sharing.
Students also reported being told granting their recommended accommodation would be unfair to others in the class.
Conversations about a student’s need for accommodation should be made in a private setting, she says, noting the university has a policy on academic accommodation for students with disabilities to which instructors can refer.
“We hope that if instructors are uncertain, they revisit the rules and responsibilities, and chairs and academic leaders have a responsibility to ensure that students are receiving their appropriate academic accommodations.”
Part of the issue is addressing attitude barriers, she says. Students should not feel uncomfortable asking for the accommodations due to them.
“Accommodation is never about giving students an unfair advantage; it’s about giving them an equal opportunity to succeed. I think that often gets lost when people don’t have a good understanding of what the purpose of an academic accommodation is.”
Another ongoing issue relates to complaints from graduate students experiencing conflict with faculty supervisors, she says.
Part of the problem is the imbalance of power between the two. Often graduates students are afraid to speak up about problems or seek advice because much of their academic and professional future depends on this relationship.
If the situation deteriorates many students will withdraw from the program or transfer, rather than confront the situation.
“The consequences can be very serious when these problems go unresolved,” she says. “Students are very concerned about damaging that relationship, but at the same time when things are going very badly with their supervisor, it is very difficult for them to move forward with their research.”
Many problems are a result of communication barriers, such as a misunderstanding about expectations, notes Clarke.
The Office of the Ombudsperson provides students with coaching and support for raising concerns in a non-adversarial way.
Clarke recommends all graduate programs develop a protocol for dealing with student concerns related to graduate supervision. This should include: creating a guideline for informal resolutions, such as enabling the Graduate Chair to act as an impartial third party; providing students with support in a case where a change in supervision is required; helping students complete outstanding paperwork related to funding or academic progress and preventing supervisors from arbitrarily discontinuing students’ financial support; and providing an assessment of students’ academic progress by other relevant parties when it is in question.
“For graduate students, this is a long-standing issue that continues to occur across the university,” she says, adding it is a concern at institutions across Canada and requires a cultural change where supervisors see themselves as mentors.
Although her recommendations are not binding, Clarke hopes to draw the university’s attention to these issues.
To read the report, visit www.uwo.ca/ombuds/.