Ombudsperson

The ombudsperson at Community College of Denver provides a safe space for students to raise concerns, discuss hardships, and receive help or guidance. Conversations with an ombudsperson are completely confidential and allow students to find resolution without going through formal College channels or procedures.

What We Do

Students at CCD can meet with the ombudsperson for a wide range of reasons—sometimes just to talk. We are here to listen and discuss your conflicts, disputes, concerns, and other complaints that you have about CCD, its policies or procedures, or the actions of others on campus. By discussing hardships face-to-face, the ombudsperson and student can evaluate the situation confidentially and work toward a resolution.

Our Principles

The student ombudsperson at CCD embodies four main principles when serving students. They are confidential, impartial, informal, and independent.

Confidential

We will not divulge your name, identify you in any way, or discuss your concerns without your explicit permission. The only exceptions are in situations of imminent risk of serious harm, suspected abuse, or if required by law.

Impartial

The ombudsperson is an advocate for fairness with no personal stake in the outcome of any situation. We do not take sides and consider the rights and interests of all involved parties. We do not judge, discipline, or reward anyone.

Informal

Any communication with the office is "off the record" and the office does not provide formal notice of a problem to the College. The use of the Student Ombudsperson is not a substitute for formal procedures, such as filing a grievance.

Independent

The Ombudsperson is independent of other College entities and holds no other position that might compromise independence. The Ombudsperson exercises sole discretion over whether or how to act in a situation.

What We Don’t Do

While the ombudsperson can be a valuable resource for students, there are boundaries to what and how they can assist. The ombudsperson at CCD does not do any of the following:

participate in a formal grievance, hearing, or judicial processes
make administrative or academic decisions on behalf of the College
determine the guilt or innocence of those accused of wrongdoing
assign sanctions
give legal advice
keep official College files or records
change student grades

The ombudsperson also does not advocate for students in any situation. Their purpose is to investigate complaints and mediate fair outcomes while remaining a neutral party between students and the College.

Meet with the Ombudsperson

Meeting with the ombudsperson at CCD is easy. Students, you can request an appointment by completing our online form. The form should be completed to the best of your ability, and the ombudsperson will reach out to you to schedule an appointment.

Request an Appointment

Online Reporting

If you cannot work out the complaint or concern with the staff member or instructor and you want to access to other options, you can complete this form and a member from CCD will be in contact with you.

Questions?

We’re here to help. Contact the Office of Student Programming, Activities, and Resource Center (SPARC) by email at SPARC@ccd.edu.