Ombudsman for Students and Employees at UP
The Ombudsman’s role is to help foster a study and work environment at Palacký University Olomouc based on the values of respect, fairness, and safety. The Ombudsman advocates equal opportunities for both students and employees and assists in resolving conflicts.
Through their work, the Ombudsman creates a space for counselling, dialogue, and mediation in situations related to ethical conduct, inappropriate behaviour, or abuse of power. In carrying out their duties, they adhere to the principles of independence, neutrality, confidentiality, and informality.
When to Contact the Ombudsman
You can contact the Ombudsman, in particular, in situations where you believe that any of the following has occurred or may be occurring:
- bullying, discrimination, or other forms of inappropriate behaviour,
- psychological pressure in the context of abuse of power,
- sexual harassment or other forms of gender-based violence
- conflict situations in the workplace that negatively affect the work environment
- actions by a person or body at UP that constitute unequal treatment or an infringement of an individual’s rights.
The Ombudsman handles individual complaints, provides counselling, and conducts investigations, which conclude with a recommendation in the form of a report.
Who Can Contact the Ombudsman
The following individuals may contact the Ombudsman:
- UP students, primarily from faculties that do not have student ombudspersons (Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Physical Culture, Faculty of Health Sciences, and Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry),
- UP employees,
- other individuals in similar positions (e.g. participants in lifelong learning programmes).
Both individuals who find themselves in a problematic situation and those who have witnessed unethical conduct may contact the Ombudsman.
How the Ombudsman Works
In carrying out their duties, the Ombudsman:
- acts independently and impartially,
- ensures confidentiality and handles the information received with care,
- treats all parties involved with respect,
- strives for an amicable resolution whenever the nature of the matter permits.
The Ombudsman does not replace the decision-making of other university bodies or disciplinary or labour-law proceedings, but provides a safe and supportive space where the situation can first be identified and further steps considered. The activities of the UP Ombudsman are governed by UP policy No. R-B-25/04, Ombudsman, and related policies of Palacký University Olomouc. Learn more about the Ombudsman’s activities and principles of operation.
How to File a Complaint
You can file a complaint:
- via the FaceUp app,
- by email,
- in person during office hours.
You can contact the Ombudsman before filing a complaint to discuss the situation. More information on filing a complaint and the next steps.
Contact
Mgr. Jaroslav Šotola, Ph.D.
585 631 005
733 779 646
Office 3.33 is located at Vodární 6, easily accessible in the city centre (near the U Sv. Mořice tram stop).
Regular office hours are on Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m., but appointments can also be scheduled outside these hours.
I realise that an environment based on mutual respect, fairness, and academic integrity must be actively built and nurtured together. Through my work, I want to help ensure that our university is a safe place for everyone who works or studies here. I also want to encourage anyone who has witnessed unethical behaviour to have confidence in this vision of a safe, fair, and pluralistic university environment and not to be afraid to speak up. I view my mission as a great commitment to my alma mater.
A graduate in philosophy and history from the Faculty of Arts at Palacký University Olomouc, he completed his doctoral studies in anthropology at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. From 2006 to 2009, he headed the Centre for Minority Integration for the Olomouc Region. He has collaborated with People in Need on projects promoting inclusion in schools. Since 2009, he has been professionally affiliated with Palacký University Olomouc (UP). His long-term workplace was the Department of Sociology, Andragogy, and Cultural Anthropology at the Faculty of Arts (FF UP), where he served as the study programme guarantor for cultural anthropology. His research has focused on the social mobility of Roma people, foreigners in the Czech Republic, and the methodology of qualitative research.
In recent years, he has also focused on the negative impacts of power asymmetry in the academic environment, which was the main motivation for him to take up the position of faculty ombudsman in 2020. He was elected to the position by the students, along with his deputy, Michaela Antonín Malaníková; since 2023, he has served as deputy ombudsman. In his role as Ombudsman for student rights at the Faculty of Arts, he has developed a proactive approach, including networking at both national and international levels. He co-founded the Czech ombuds platform in education, which brings together and supports ombudspersons at universities; he currently serves as its vice-chair. In 2021, he completed training in transformative mediation, which he considers an effective tool for conflict resolution in the academic environment; he gained practical experience working at mediation centres in Olomouc and Brno.