Help & Support
If you encounter emotionally demanding situations, inappropriate behavior, discrimination, or any other problematic behavior during your studies or work, do not hesitate to seek the following assistance.
Every situation has a solution.
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OMBUDSMAN AT THE FACULTY OF LAW
Independently of other faculty bodies, the Ombudsman helps to create a safe, respectful, fair, and enjoyable learning and working environment.
Eva Hrubá
Ombudsman at the Faculty of Law
I am an attorney at law specializing in family law. I also act as a counsellor for victims of crime and am involved in mediation.
Since 1 July 2022, I have been an ombudsman at the Faculty of Law, Charles University.
"In order to help, I need to learn about your problems. Don't be afraid to speak up, don't be afraid to share your negative (but also positive) experiences regarding your studies or work at the Faculty. This is the only way we can change anything."
Email: ombudsmanka@prf.cuni.cz
Tel.: 724 769 929
Room 118 (first floor)
Office hours
Every Monday 15:00 – 16:00 and at other times by appointment
Online submission of complaints via the “Nenech to být (FaceUp)” platform
Who can contact the Ombudsman?
Any student (including students with interrupted studies, candidates for the state rigorosum examination, participants in a lifelong learning programme, or an internationally recognized course, foreign exchange students), academic staff or other employees of the Faculty of Law of Charles University.
When can the Ombudsman help?
The Ombudsman primarily (but not exclusively) addresses problematic situations involving sexual harassment, discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, disability, etc., abuse of power, non-transparent or biased examination, inappropriate communication, mobbing and bossing, bullying, disparate, unreasonable, and unequal treatment of students, academic staff, and other faculty employees, but also addresses inaction by individuals or institutions.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Ombudsman if you are dealing with a problem related to your faculty position, are concerned about taking it up with an authorized body for various reasons, or are unsure about how to proceed. Advice is confidential, assistance is discreet.
When can’t the Ombudsman intervene?
In areas that primarily fall under the competence of other faculty bodies or departments. This does not apply, of course, when the Ombudsman deals with inappropriate actions or inactions of specific individuals or is involved in systemic changes in this context. Therefore, the Ombudsman, for example, cannot answer questions about your studies, cannot change the outcome of examinations or decisions to expel you from the university, cannot influence the distribution of funding, but can intervene if you feel discriminated against in these situations.
However, there is no need to be afraid to contact the Ombudsman with any question or request for help. If the matter does not fall within the Ombudsman’s remit, she will help you find another way, refer you to the right authority, or pass on your complaint, always acting with your knowledge and consent.
What principles and rules does the Ombudsman follow?
No one will be penalized for their complaint.
When investigating any complaints, the Ombudsman acts discreetly, sensitively, and with respect for the rights and personalities of the persons concerned.
The Ombudsman will maintain confidentiality of all facts that come to her knowledge in the performance of her duties.
The Ombudsman is independent of other faculty bodies and does not take instructions from anyone.
When dealing with a specific complaint, the Ombudsman will act impartially and objectively and will be obliged to ascertain the opinion of all parties involved.
All steps the Ombudsman takes are transparent and complainants are informed about the progress made in solving their complaints.
How can you contact the Ombudsman?
The procedure is completely informal on the part of the complainants.
The Ombudsman accepts both anonymous and non-anonymous submissions.
- A complaint can be made in any way, especially:
- by email (ombudsmanka@prf.cuni.cz),
- by phone (724 769 929),
- via the FaceUp platform,
- in person (during office hours every Monday from 15:00 to 16:00 and at other times by appointment) at the Ombudsman's office (Room 118 on the first floor), as well as at other places if required and agreed on in advance.
What is the procedure once a complaint has been filed?
Written submissions are responded to without undue delay (if the Ombudsman is unable to respond immediately because of exceptional reasons such as illness or prolonged absence, this information will be made public). If the submission is not properly substantiated, you will be asked to complete it. In some cases, a face-to-face meeting will be appropriate; this can be arranged outside the faculty.
The Ombudsman does not verify the identity of the complainant and respects anonymity unless your identity is necessary for processing the submission and taking further action. The Ombudsman will always proceed only after you have been informed of the steps to be taken; nothing will happen behind your back.
A written record is kept of each submission. A record sheet is made of personal submissions, giving a brief account of the consultation, including any further action recommended. The Ombudsman is bound by confidentiality and all submissions and any documents relating to the Ombudsman's work are kept secure against access by unauthorized persons. Confidentiality and trust are the basic principles of the Ombudsman's work.
How can the Ombudsman help in particular?
The Ombudsman is a mediator of a conflict situation, she can help to mediate communication between the parties involved, and can thus contribute to finding a suitable solution acceptable to all parties. The Ombudsman does not have decision-making authority, but if the investigation determines that a complaint is well-founded and mediation is not appropriate or successful, then the Ombudsman will inform (with the knowledge and consent of the complainant) the appropriate faculty body of the situation and submit a proposal for a possible solution. In certain cases, a person outside the faculty may assist the complainant with further steps.
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PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING FOR STUDENTS
Psychological counselling
Tuesday
9:00 – 13:00, Room 118, Mgr. Bc. Zuzana Rojíková
Wednesday
16:00 – 20:00, Room 118, MUDr. Mgr. Štěpánka Pabiánová
Thursday
8:00 – 12:00, Room 118, MUDr. Petra Ročková, Ph. D.
The counselling is available FREE of charge for all students of the Faculty of Law.
Mgr. Bc. Zuzana Rojíková
She sees the work of a psychotherapist as an opportunity to be a guide for another person. Her goal is to make the client live the way he or she wants to live. Maybe even in spite of something, but always with their inner consent. She currently works in private practice and focuses on topics such as meaning of life, loss, anxiety, partner problems, job/study dissatisfaction and stress. Her previous experience has mainly been in the areas of addictions, self-harm, crisis and trauma. She has a degree in psychology with a focus on education from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and also has degree in law. She completed a five-year psychotherapeutic training in logotherapy and existential analysis and a one-year course in psychotherapeutic work with trauma.
MUDr. Mgr. Štěpánka Pabiánová
Štěpánka Pabiánová is a graduate of the 1st Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague. She has participated in a training in cognitive behavioural therapy Odyssey – International Institute of CBT – and has completed a course on the basics of transactional analysis. She currently works as a doctor at the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital. Apart from her duties at the psychiatric hospital, she is mainly interested in managing stress caused by study and workload and in anxiety disorders. She provides both psychotherapeutic and psychiatric services in Czech and English.
MUDr. Petra Ročková, Ph.D.
Petra Ročková graduated from the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and for almost 20 years she has been working at the neurology department of the Motol Hospital, where she deals mainly with patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. In an effort to improve communication with patients, she first completed a course in coaching and then a five-year self-experience training programme in psychotherapy in a dynamic direction. She views psychotherapy as an opportunity to enjoy time in a safe non-judgmental environment where the client seeks and finds a path through life that is most acceptable to them. The interpersonal relationships that shape us from childhood and influence us in adulthood contribute greatly to how we feel in life. Even in therapy, working on a relationship with a client is important to her and can be a catalyst for change.
