In 1990, the membership adopted the first Constitution and created officer positions. Changes were made over the years; this current version of the Constitution was adopted in 2015 by the general membership.

 

1.THE NAME OF THE ASSOCIATION

1.1 The English name of the Association is Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (1). The French name is Association des ombudsmans des universités et collèges du Canada. The acronym is ACCUO (English) and AOUCC (French). 

 

2. VISION AND MISSION

2.1a The Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (ACCUO) is a bilingual (English and French), independent association of ombudspersons in post-secondary institutions in Canada.

2.1b ACCUO strives for the promotion of fairness and respectful learning and working environments in post-secondary institutions in Canada through the establishment of ombudsperson services. 

2.2. In support of its members and the development of the ombuds profession, ACCUO promotes the principles of independence, impartiality, confidentiality, and accessibility in the practice of ombuds work. 

2.3. The mission of ACCUO is to: 

2.3.1. Promote the role of ombudsperson and foster its understanding; 

2.3.2. Act as a central resource on ombuds theory and practice; 

2.3.3. Promote the presence of ombuds services within post-secondary institutions; 

2.3.4. Provide professional development opportunities to current and potential members; 

2.3.5. Develop and promote professional standards for its members; 

2.3.6. Share information about best practices among its members; 

2.3.7. Sponsor research on issues of interest and concern to its members; 

2.3.8. Encourage cooperation with other ombuds organizations. 

 

3. THE FUNCTION OF OMBUDSPERSON

3.1. In accordance with the ACCUO Standards of Practice (SoP), an ombudsperson operating within a Canadian post-secondary institution is someone who: 

3.1.1. operates according to a mandate (e.g. terms of reference) approved at the highest level(s) of the institution and made available to the institution’s community;

3.1.2. fosters respectful, fair and equitable policies, practices and treatment of individuals; 

3.1.3. functions independently of the administrative structures of the institution and of the staff, faculty and student associations, and this is reflected in the terms of employment; 

3.1.4. operates in an impartial and objective manner; 

3.1.5. operates confidentially, including from any administrative structure of the institution and of the staff, faculty and student associations;

3.1.6. provides a range of dispute resolution assistance, including information, advice and interventions; 

3.1.7. investigates and/or informally resolves complaints through access to persons, records, files and information; 

3.1.8. makes recommendations on fair ways to resolve individual and systemic issues without decision-making authority to implement the recommendation; 

3.1.9. may issue reports to the institution’s community, particularly regarding systemic recommendations to improve fairness. 

 

4. MEMBERSHIP

4.1. Membership classification:

4.1.1. Voting membership:  full or part-time ombuds practitioners who work in Canadian post-secondary educational institutions and who meet the definition in Section 3 above;

4.1.2 Institutional membership: ombuds offices operating in Canadian post-secondary institutions with three or more staff who meet the Voting member criteria in 4.1.1;

4.1.3. Associate membership: full or part-time ombuds practitioners who do not meet the Voting member criteria in 4.1.1 or anyone interested in the ombuds profession who is not working in the field currently, e.g. retired Ombudsperson, student, aspiring ombudsperson; 

4.1.4. Honorary Membership: recipients of the ACCUO Distinguished Service Award.   

4.2. Voting, Institutional and Associate members are required to pay an annual fee, which is established at the Annual General Meeting.

4.3. The membership year runs from July 1 to June 30.

4.4. Membership benefits:

4.4.1. Voting members are eligible for the following: 

• voting rights at ACCUO AGM; 

• ability to run for executive offices, e.g. President, Treasurer, Secretary, Member; 

• participation in ACCUO list-serve; 

• attendance at ACCUO sponsored events, e.g. mid-year meeting, annual conference, AGM, occasional workshops, mentoring relationships (if sufficient mentors are available).

4.4.2 Institutional Members: This membership category will carry the same benefits and rights as Voting members, but will be limited to one vote and to one position on the executive.

4.4.3 Associate members are non-voting and not eligible to run for executive offices. They are eligible for:

• attendance at ACCUO annual conference and occasional workshops; 

• consultation with ACCUO executive committee members on issues related to ombuds practice within post-secondary educational institutions; 

• mentoring relationships (if sufficient mentors are available).

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5. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

5.1. There shall be an executive committee composed of the association officers, namely, a President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two Members selected, if possible, one from eastern Canada and one from western Canada. 

5.2. The immediate past President will be an ex officio member of the executive committee. 

5.3. Officers will be elected from the membership normally by electronic voting taking place at the latest 20 days before the Annual General Meeting and serve a two-year term beginning July 1. 

5.4. Officers may be re-elected, but may normally not serve more than two consecutive terms in a particular position. 

5.5. In the event of a vacancy on the executive committee, the remaining officers may appoint a replacement to serve until the position is filled normally by electronic voting before the next Annual General Meeting. 

5.6. The functions of the executive committee include but are not limited to: 

5.6.1. Working with the conference coordinator to plan the forthcoming conference and Annual General Meeting; 

5.6.2. Considering any matters which, in its opinion, are of concern to the membership; 

5.6.3. Managing association funds; 

5.6.4. Consulting the membership whenever appropriate; 

5.6.5. Delegating particular tasks among themselves or the membership at large. 

5.7. Duties of the Officers: 

5.7.1. President: 

The President will chair meetings of the executive committee, as well as the Annual General Meeting; will coordinate the efforts of the Association; will act as spokesperson for the Association. 

5.7.2. Secretary: 

The Secretary will prepare and distribute agendas and minutes, as well as receive documents needed for meetings or for the membership (e.g., copies of the financial report.); will also maintain a mailing list of members. 

5.7.3. Treasurer: 

The Treasurer, together with one other officer, will have signing authority for the association accounts and will have primary responsibility for the preparation of budgetary recommendations, financial reports and collection of membership fees. 

5.7.4. Member: 

The two Members will provide general assistance to the other officers in the performance of specific duties and will have a particular responsibility for ensuring that the interests of all members are adequately reflected in decisions, e.g. for ensuring that no one group or region is excluded or overlooked. 

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6. CONFERENCE COORDINATOR

6.1. A conference coordinator will be chosen to plan and to host the forthcoming conference. The conference coordinator must be a member of the Association. 

6.2. Normally, the coordinator will be chosen two years in advance at the Annual General Meeting so that he or she can gain experience by helping with some of the details of the conference in the year preceding his or her own tenure as host. 

 

7. AMENDMENTS

7.1. Amendments to this constitution can be proposed at any time. 

7.2. Proposed amendments should be sent to the Secretary in sufficient time so that the proposed amendments are circulated to all members at least 30 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. 

7.3. The Secretary may circulate the proposed amendments via electronic means, e.g. e-mail, facsimile transmission, or regular postal service. 

7.4. An amendment will pass by simple majority vote of the members present at an Annual General Meeting. 

7.5. Passed at the Annual General Meeting, 10 June 1990, Québec, Québec. 

7.5.1. Amended 19 June 1993, Winnipeg, Manitoba 

7.5.2. Amended 12 June 1994, Ottawa, Ontario 

7.5.3. Amended 11 June 1995, Waterloo, Ontario 

7.5.4. Amended 17 May 1996, St. Louis, Missouri 

7.5.5. Amended 9 May 2002, Winnipeg, Manitoba 

7.5.6. Amended 28 May 2004, Montreal, Quebec 

7.5.7. Amended 21 May 2010, Vienna, Austria 

7.5.8. Amended 8 June 2012, Edmonton, Alberta 

7.5.9. Amended 12 May, 2015 Vancouver, British Columbia

7.5.10 Amended 15 June, 2016 Teleconference AGM

7.5.11 Amended 17 June, 2020 Teleconference AGM

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Note 1: The word "ombudsman" is Swedish. Ombudspersons in Canadian post-secondary institutions sometimes carry a different title such as ombudsman, ombuds or ombud. For purposes of clarity, the ACCUO Constitution uses the term "ombudsperson" to describe the position and the term "ombuds" as an adjective when describing the work of an ombudsperson

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