UW has created a new resource for students in the form of the Student Ombudsman. The role is designed to be an independent problem-solving resource that will serve students as well as faculty and staff regarding student-related issues.
The inaugural ombudsman position will be filled by Dilnoza Khasilova, a recent Ph.D. graduate from this university. Khasilova currently works in the UW Office of Global Engagement and will fill that role as well as acting as Student Ombudsman.
Khasilova says that as Student Ombudsman, she “…will try to be an independent resource to not specifically solve the problem but try to improve the experience of students if they’re struggling or something is going on.”
Khasilova said that while the office will not offer legal advice or investigate issues, it will serve as an informal mediating position meant to help students decide on which steps to take.
“My job is to mediate and create a welcoming atmosphere and be a first-hand guidance,” Khasilova said. “That includes information and direction to the appropriate offices and resources so that we can engage in productive problem-solving with the goal of instilling respect, civility, and justice.”
The office will offer help in a variety of areas, including both academic and personal affairs. The office will direct students to resources and initiatives they may not have known about before, according to Khasilova.
“Everything depends on our social life too, so if something is happening in your life, that probably affects your schooling as well,” Khasilova explained.
Academic Advisor for the School of Energy Resources Kami Jo Danaei said her husband’s experience as an international student and her own as a first-generation student has made her very supportive of what the Student Ombudsman will provide for students.
“I understand the role that plays in being objective and being able to tell you honestly ‘this is the process if you file this position or take this action’ and being able to walk you through that and knowing that it’s not going to have any repercussions,” Danaei said.
Danaei said that the Student Ombudsman provides a sense of confidentiality that may not be as present in other resources on campus, especially when it comes to conflicts.
“It’s very difficult sometimes for students to go talk to those people- to advisors, to faculty- because of the fear of ‘what’s gonna happen if I complain about this thing’ or the worry that it’s going to ruin how people see them,” Danaei said.
Many students do not know about a lot of the resources available to them, according to Danaei.
“Sometimes it’s because they’re like me and they don’t know what they don’t know and sometimes it’s because they don’t even think that that’s a service that a university is going to be offering,” Danaei said.
The Student Ombudsman will be a resource available to any student on campus, including undergraduate, graduate, or professional students.
Khasilova said that the office has support from a number of different organizations on campus, including the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, ASUW, Academic Affairs, and Student Affairs.
In a recent press release by the University, ASUW president Hunter Swilling voiced his support for the Student Ombudsman position, citing the fact that the role will be filled by a former student who understands what it is like to have the same experiences that current students have.
Currently, Khasilova says that the office is working on creating awareness of what the Student Ombudsman offers.
The office will officially begin operating in Spring of 2022.
