Student Advocate

What is the Student Advocate at UNADE?

The Student Advocate is the body of the University created for the representation and defense of students’ personal legal interests and rights. It is the only legitimately empowered institution. It may act on behalf of, represent and defend students’ general, collective or diffuse personal rights and interests.

Furthermore, it also ensures that students have all the information and guidance they need for the free defense of their legitimate interests. As well as ensuring that each student receives an inclusive quality education.

In addition, the Student Advocate has among its functions advising teachers and the University itself. The goal is to guarantee at all times that procedures and regulations respect the University’s values and ethos. And that ethical or moral attitudes lead to maintaining the most suitable attitudes or behaviors.

Likewise, the Student Advocate seeks to ensure that each student can learn in their own way. Although it knows that, scientifically, each student carries out their learning processes differently. Traditional education places the focus on the transmission of knowledge to the group. However, UNADE takes each individual person into account.

Objectives of the Student Advocate

The Student Advocate ensures that graduates have suitable teachers, taking into account their student profile. In this way, maximum productivity will be achieved in each student. The tutor adapts to the student; it is the tutor who proactively reaches out to the student. To this end, they will attend to each student courteously and at the most suitable times.

Universidad Americana de Europa, UNADE, aims to ensure that each student studies with maximum flexibility. And, on the other hand, the Student Advocate seeks to resolve any interference in this process, in which the student must:

Be the center of the procedure at all times.
Have within reach everything they need for learning.
Have a personalized and immediate educational response.

In this sense, the Student Advocate must ensure that the student is encouraged to learn to manage their autonomy and leadership in the educational process. That is, that the student acquires added value and does not remain in the merely academic. A lack of means will not be a valid excuse for failing to offer personalized attention.

Likewise, it will ensure that assessments are not always standardized. Therefore, when necessary, flexible forms of assessment and recognition of individual progress toward the general objectives must be adopted, providing alternative routes for learning.

Regulations related to the Student Advocate at UNADE

The Student Advocate is elected by an absolute majority of the Faculty Assembly. Moreover, the position cannot be held by those who perform academic responsibility functions, or who are part of any of UNADE’s governing bodies.

Another important aspect is that the Student Advocate, when acting in their functions, is not subject to any mandate or to instructions from any educational authority. Consequently, they perform their functions with autonomy within their own organic and competential scope. In such a way that they cannot be sanctioned for the performance of their functions.

All authorities, University bodies and staff are obliged to provide the necessary collaboration to the Student Advocate. So that they can have access to the information they require. This includes access to the archives or premises they deem appropriate, always within applicable regulations. The Student Advocate may have at their disposal whatever human and material resources are necessary for the performance of their functions.

Powers of the Student Advocate

Among the powers of the Student Advocate, we highlight that they may:

Decide, on their own initiative or at the request of an interested party, to begin whatever investigations are necessary to clarify any type of complaint or claim regarding any service provided to the student, whether academic or administrative in nature.
Mediate and reconcile on any conflict involving students. Both when requested by them, and when they deem their intervention appropriate, if the affected parties also consider it so.
Provide proposals for academic administrative solutions.
Bring to the attention of the competent body of the educational administration any actions or decisions that infringe on students’ rights. This may be on their own initiative or at the request of a party.
Request reports from the relevant parties at UNADE about the claims or complaints they receive.
Submit proposals to the competent bodies to resolve the situations that have given rise to the claims or complaints.
Report annually to the governing council on the activities and actions carried out.

Procedure of the Student Advocate

Complaints and Claims Procedure

Students’ complaints or claims, requests for mediation, or initiatives shall be submitted in writing to UNADE through the email “defensordelestudiante@unade.edu.mx” and must be signed by the applicant. In addition, they must be signed by the applicant. The applicant must refer to the program in which they are enrolled and explain the reasons for the matter.
The Advocate will duly record the document in a specific register. They will then contact the person who drafted the request. The goal is to give guidance on the possible solutions or alternatives available to them.
Complaints in which the applicant is not identified will not be admitted for processing. The Student Advocate is responsible for guaranteeing the anonymity of the applicant, who enjoys the guarantee of confidentiality. Likewise, complaints that, due to a report or otherwise, are pending resolution outside UNADE will not be admitted. However, this does not prevent the Advocate from carrying out the work they deem appropriate to clarify what happened.
Once a complaint or claim has been admitted for processing, the investigation of the facts will begin, informing whoever it concerns at UNADE. A maximum period of 10 working days is given to clarify the corresponding point of view. If, within this period, the Student Advocate considers the information gathered insufficient, they may grant a new period of 3 working days to detail the facts better. In addition, at any time the Advocate may request a personal interview.
With all the necessary information, the Student Advocate may formulate a proposed solution to each of the parties. A period of 10 working days is provided to express agreement. Failure to respond within the deadline will be understood as positive assent to the proposal.
Both parties may submit allegations regarding the proposal.

Initiatives Procedure

When it comes to proposals for the improvement of UNADE, a reasoned document on the advantages or benefits thereof shall be recorded.

Once registered, the Advocate will forward said report to the relevant UNADE officials.

Effects of the Conciliation Proposals

The proposals of the Student Advocate do not constitute administrative acts. They do not put an end to any other procedure that may be initiated subsequently.

Furthermore, they are neither binding nor appealable, and may not be contrary to UNADE’s regulations or resolutions.