- Accommodations
- Counselling Support
- Employment Rights
- Housing
- Legal Services and Information
- Students
The following is a list of Helpful Resources for students for life on and off campus. The info is provided for the most commonly asked questions and is not meant as an exhaustive list of resources available on and off campus. Feedback is welcome on anything that you think would be helpful to add to this list.
Accommodations
The Accommodations Policy at Carleton University is administered through the Paul Menton Centre
Ontario legislation requires that Carleton University fulfill a Duty to Accommodate students.
There is an Accommodation Appeal Process available to address situations where the recommended accommodation has not been met.
Attendant Services Program
Carleton University offers attendant and personal care services, 24-hours per day, 12 months of the year at no cost to students with physical disabilities living in residence. The Program receives funding from The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care through the Champlain Region Local Health Integrated Network. Apply to the program
Counselling Support
Note: The following are suggestions for counselling resources on and off campus and are not meant to replace any medical advice or plans already received or in place.
Empower Me – Mental Health Resources is a program offered by CUSA to undergraduate students. Connect with consultants, counsellors, and life coaches 24/7 from anywhere in North America.
Toll-free: 1-844-741-6389 connects you directly to a trained counsellor.
Counselling Services provides on-campus confidential personal counselling.
Residence Counselling is a satellite office of Health and Counselling Services open exclusively to Carleton students living in residence. Located in Renfrew Building, Room 131 (main floor, close to rear entrance).
There is a Wellness Space available M-F 8:30am-4:30pm. Resources are provided for students to do stress-relieving activities including puzzles, colouring, bracelet making, light therapy, or to just relax. Come alone or bring a friend.
Employment Rights
Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development – Employment Standards
Explore the Ministry website to learn more about employee rights and employer obligations in Ontario.
This guide to the Employment Standards Act provides details to explain the minimum standards for most employees in Ontario. While it does not provide legal advice, it does provide helpful details for understanding topics, such as, minimum wage, hours of work, termination of employment, public holidays, pregnancy and parental leave, serverance pay, and vacation.
Housing
City of Ottawa By-Law
Contact the City of Ottawa Bylaws for concerns about your rental unit (e.g. Property Maintenance, and Property Standards).
Landlord and Tenant Board
Information on tenant rights is available at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Tollfree Helpline: 1-888-332-3234 TTY: Call the Bell Relay Service at 1-800-855-0511
Owning a condo
The Government of Ontario runs a useful resource for condo owners in our province. Read which laws protect you, how to file a dispute, and how to install charging stations in your condo building for electronic vehicles, among other things.
Legal Services and Information
Legal Clinic at Carleton
Legal advice is available to Carleton students through the Satellite Clinic on Carleton’s campus. The office is located at the CUSA Office. The Satellite Clinic is operated by the uOttawa Community Legal Clinic. Please call the clinic at 613-562-5600 for operating hours on Carleton’s campus.
University of Ottawa law students, supervised by lawyers, may help with various areas of law. For example: drug offences, theft, evictions, and family situations.
The Clinic provides notary services to students of Carleton University. Contact the Clinic for notary hours at 613-562-5600.
Community Legal Services of Ottawa
Community Legal Services of Ottawa is a non-profit community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario. There are three locations. Free legal services are available for help with issues involving housing law, immigration law, employment law, and more.
Consumer Protection Ontario
An Ontario’s Ministry of Government and Consumer Services program – Consumer Protection Ontario – provides awareness and promotes consumer rights. This site includes information on the Consumer Protection Act which regulates common marketplace consumer transactions
Family Law Portal
The Family Law Portal is a free online information resource for help through separation or divorce. The online resource helps you understand your rights, responsibilities, the decisions you need to make, and the documents you will need.
Legal Aid Ontario
Legal Aid Ontario provides legal help in English and French for financially eligible low-income Ontarians in: family law, refugee and immigration law, criminal law, mental health law, clinic law. Services include: a toll‑free telephone line that includes 20 minutes of free legal advice for family law matters, same day courthouse services including duty counsel, paralegals and court workers, staff lawyers who represent clients, web‑based information and referrals, and support for 72 independent legal clinics and seven student legal aid services societies throughout the province.
Call 1-800-668-8258 M-F from 8am to 5pm (EST) for help in over 300 languages.
Clinique juridique francophone de l’Est d’Ottawa Centre des services communautaires Vanier
Known as Ottawa’s Francophone Legal Clinic, CSC Vanier provides legal representation and advice in areas like immigration law, housing law, and family law. This French only legal service can be reached by calling 613-744-2892.
Students
I am a graduate student and I’m not getting along so well with my Supervisor. Is there a policy about how we work together?
Yes, both the supervisor and the student have responsibilities and need to understand these along with the expectations that are entailed as students make their way through a graduate program. Consult the policy here: Graduate Supervision Responsibilities & Expectations Policy.
I’m a graduate student and my Supervisor says my funding is ending. Who could help me?
The best place to start is to reach out to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (FGPA). Contact the Associate Dean of Student and Postdoctoral Affairs and ask if he/she can meet to discuss your situation. You can also include the Ombudsperson in communications and and invite the Ombudsperson to participate in a meeting.
I am currently facing challenges when it comes to communicating with my professors via email. What steps would you recommend I take?
To address this issue effectively, we suggest reviewing Carleton Online’s set of 10 guidelines for emailing your instructors. These guidelines encompass crucial aspects of successful communication. If you encounter difficulties in your email correspondence with your professors, consider contacting our office for assistance.
Disclaimer:
While Ombuds Services acknowledges these as potentially helpful resources for the community, it does not endorse any content, contributors, or license interpretations from these websites. Any links to these resources across carleton.ca/ombuds/ are solely for navigational purposes. The Ombudsperson does not provide medical or legal advice.