An Ombuds is a person who serves as an informal and impartial resource to assist students
with issues and concerns related to their student experience. The goal is create a
safe place for students who come to the Student Ombuds Office to discuss and research
concerns. The Ombuds will listen to the concern or issue, ask questions to ensure
they have a full understanding of the matter, brainstorm options, make the necessary
phone calls to other business areas to resolve issues and weigh pros and cons of particular
courses of action.
The Student Ombuds Office can assist students with a variety of concerns that can
fall into various topics such as:
- Preparing for a difficult conversation
- Violations of university policy
- Cultural misunderstandings/concerns
- Classroom/course concerns
- Concerns with the student’s university account
- Bursar
- Registrar
- Financial Aid
- Housing
- Health and safety concerns
The WCU Student Ombuds Office is not a substitute for any of the other departments/offices
on campus but rather is an informal place where students can go to find out more about
a concern, policy or issue. Students may wish to discuss an issue with an Ombuds first
and weigh different options that may be available for resolution.
You can contact the WCU Student Ombuds Office at 610-436-3356. Lisa Montgomery serves
as the Student Ombuds. She can also be reached as follows:
LMontgomery@wcupa.edu
Studentombuds@wcupa.edu
Please be aware that use of email is not a secure or confidential method off communication.
Information shared with the Ombuds is considered private in nature and is not shared
with any member within or outside of the campus community. Exceptions occur if the
student visiting the office grants permission to the Student Ombuds to discuss the
information provided during the meeting. In addition, the Student Ombuds will be
obligated by law or policy to disclose private/confidential information in certain
situations. For example, the Student Ombuds is a "Responsible Employee" per the WCU
Sexual Misconduct Policy and therefore must report possible sexual misconduct violations
(Title IX), as well as instances of child abuse and neglect. In addition, the Ombuds
must report crimes to WCU Public Safety, in accordance with the Clery and Campus SaVE
requirements. In addition, the Ombuds may break confidentiality if deemed necessary
to ensure safety when there is a threat of harm to self or others.
The WCU Student Ombuds will develop an annual report that contains trends and potential
recommendations that can enhance students’ experiences here at West Chester University.
This report will serve as part of the Ombuds’ responsibility to provide feedback to
members of the campus community to enable stronger working relationships with departments
and to enhance the overall experiences students have while here at WCU.
The WCU Student Ombuds reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs.
All West Chester University students (undergraduate and graduate) may utilize the
services of the Student Ombuds.
