Mission Statement

The mission of Student Ombuds Services at Northern Virginia Community College is to provide confidential, independent, impartial, and informal conflict and dispute resolution services for students in a community that values respectful dialogue, fair practices, and mutual understanding. Student Ombuds Services informs College leaders, through annual reporting, about general trends that warrant review or further consideration of policies and procedures for the benefit of the College community.

What is an Ombudsperson?

An Ombudsperson or Ombuds, from the term Ombudsman, is a confidential*, impartial, independent, and informal resource within the College, designated to assist the student body in managing and resolving conflicts and other types of organizational concerns.

*Conversations are confidential unless there appears to be imminent risk of harm or danger to the student and/or another person.

Role of the Student Ombudsperson

The Student Ombuds Services at NOVA provides all students with a safe place to bring questions and concerns about the College’s policies and/or procedures.

The Student Ombuds Services assist students by considering all sides of an issue in an impartial and objective way and advises the student on how to best resolve the problems.

The Student Ombudsperson serves as the point of contact for the College in the event of a student's death. All notifications about the passing of a student should be made to ombuds@nvcc.edu or at 703.530.3051.

The Student Ombuds Services reports to Mr. Michael Turner, College Dean of Student Rights and Responsibilities.