An important function of the NSO is to identify systemic issues affecting students across the higher education sector. [The Ombudsman Act 1976 (the Act) and the Ombudsman Regulations (2017)]. We can do this through Ombudsman led investigations called ‘Own Motion Investigations’.

We can investigate:

• issues that place students at a disadvantage
• the fairness of higher education provider policies and complaint handling processes
• the consistency and transparency of provider actions across equity groups – for example, international students, or students with disability.