Be the first to comment!New university ombudsman to be responsible for MCAST and ITS
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The Parliamentary Ombudsman has today officially appointed Professor Charles Farrugia as University Ombudsman. He will succeed Professor Victor Griffiths whose second term of office came to an end in August this year. Professor Farrugia has been appointed, in terms of the law for a term of five years with effect from 1 November 2008.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman has also today delegated the University Ombudsman with powers to investigate administrative actions of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and of the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS). In the exercise of this delegated function, Professor Farrugia will be acting in line with the provisions of the Ombudsman Act in so far as these are applicable.
This delegation is in effect extending the services of the University Ombudsman to other institutions of tertiary education. If a complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the investigations carried out by the University Ombudsman, he or she can always have recourse to the Parliamentary Ombudsman so that the latter can consider the case. Complaints concerning these institutions will be received and registered at the Office of the Ombudsman at 11, St Paul Street Valletta, where the appointee will have his office.
The University Ombudsman while fully retaining his independence and autonomy, will have at his disposal the administrative and investigative resources of the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman,
This development has taken place following close consultation with the Minister for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports in the light of the declared government policy for close collaboration between the Parliamentary Ombudsman and other institutions set up by law whose specific function is to audit administrative matters of a specialised nature.
All efforts will be made to provide a service that will be easily accessible to students, staff and academics of these Institutions. Complainants must first exhaust all other means of redress available to them through internal structures.
