From 1 January 2024, the role of Ombudsman at UWB has been held by Petr Šimon. 
A graduate of the Faculty of Education of the University of West Bohemia, he has been professionally engaged in activities and projects related to equal opportunities, education and culture since 2008. At UWB, he has been responsible for equal opportunities and non-discrimination since 2021.

The UWB Ombudsman is an impartial and independent person who protects the rights of UWB students and staff who are potentially threatened by discriminatory behavior within the institution. He is therefore the person to whom one can turn in the event that some form of violation of social safety may have occurred at the University of West Bohemia, for example, discrimination, unequal treatment, bullying, aggression or sexual and gender-based violence.

The Ombudsman investigates situations brought to his attention in the form of complaints, mediates disputes and conflicts within the organization, provides assistance to all those who contact him in the area of social safety, and, last but not least, oversees the creation and maintenance of social safety at UWB.

If you have been a victim of sexual or gender-based violence, intimidation, aggression, bullying or discrimination, i.e., if there has been a breach of social safety or if you suspect that a breach has occurred, you can file a complaint with the Ombudsman. You can also contact the Ombudsman in person to discuss the suspected breach of social safety with him or her.

Witnesses who were present during the conduct in question may also file a complaint.

The complaint must identify the parties or persons involved and state the relevant facts describing how social safety was violated, i.e., sexual or gender-based violence, intimidation, aggression, bullying or discrimination. The Ombudsman will then examine the complaint and decide on the next course of action:

• The ombudsman may propose a solution to the parties through mediation. If mediation does not result in an agreement, the Ombudsman will investigate the complaint.
• Violations of social safety may be a violation of the Code of Ethics or a disciplinary offense. In these cases, the Ombudsman is authorized to initiate an investigation into a violation of the Code of Ethics or disciplinary proceedings.
• If the Ombudsman does not find a breach of social safety, the Ombudsman will inform the person who made the complaint.
• If the Ombudsperson determines that there has been a breach of social safety, they shall notify the person who made the complaint and propose to the Rector that corrective action be taken; the Rector shall inform the Ombudsman of the action taken.

The Ombudsman puts the complaint on hold or refers it to the person who is authorized to deal with it (if the complaint is in fact an appeal in another matter).

The UWB Ethics Committee oversees compliance with the standards of ethical conduct set out in the Code of Conduct. The principles contained in the Code of Ethics apply to all UWB students and staff.

Composition of the Ethics Committee and more

If you are a student and you feel that someone has committed an unethical act towards you or you have witnessed it, contact the management of the faculty you are studying at (the Dean or Vice-Dean for Study Affairs). If for some reason you do not feel it is appropriate, contact the Ethics Committee directly.

If you are an employee and you feel that someone is engaging in unethical behavior towards you or you have witnessed it, contact your supervisor. If for any reason you do not feel it is appropriate, contact the Ethics Committee directly.

You may send your complaints to the UWB Ethics Committee to etikom@rek.zcu.cz.

Anonymous submissions can be made via an online form on the website, or via the iOS or Android app (enter the organization's access code C2DWu3rOzj into the app).

The constant goal of the University of West Bohemia is to build mutual trust. In order to ensure ethical business standards, the University's management has adopted systemic measures to reduce the risk of misconduct. A whistleblower protection program has been introduced, which allows for the submission of reports of violations of selected Czech legislation in accordance with Act No. 171/2023 Coll. on the protection of whistleblowers and the reporting of violations of EU law, based on Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report violations of EU law.

• The Whistleblowing Hotline is designed to ensure the anonymity of the whistleblower and protect them from sanctions, discrimination or other retaliation. A whistleblower may be an employee, student, business associate, or third party (the public) who makes a report or communicates concerns about suspected misconduct.
• The Whistleblowing Hotline can only be used to report unfair or unlawful conduct.
• The Whistleblowing Hotline is intended primarily for users who are unsure whether or how to report a violation.
• All information provided via the Whistleblowing Hotline is secured against misuse, archived and stored in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679, other legal regulations governing the processing and protection of personal data and Act No. 171/2023 Coll., on the protection of whistleblowers.

The NNTB website or the iOS or Android app is a convenient and easy way to file reports electronically (enter the organization's access code dZ0e7vhJE8 into the app).

Although submitting reports via the app is convenient and practical, other channels can also be used. Reports can also be submitted via:

• email to whistle@rek.zcu.cz
• the postal service provider, whereby the complainant is obliged to visibly mark the envelope with the words "do not open - whistleblowing" and send it to the University of West Bohemia, Univerzitní 8, 301 00 Plzeň
• by phone or at the request of the whistleblower in person to the Whistleblowing Coordinator, Mgr. et Bc. Tereza Vojáčková, tel. 377 631 094.

The report must contain the name, surname, date of birth or other information from which the identity of the complainant can be deduced. The notification need not contain the information referred to in the first sentence if it is made by a person whose identity is known to the Whistleblowing Coordinator.

The Whistleblowing Coordinator shall take care to maintain the confidentiality of the identity of the whistleblower when using all of the above communication channels.

When submitting a complaint via the NNTB website or the iOS or Android app, all communication is anonymous and encrypted. It cannot lead to the user being traced back.

Each report will be thoroughly investigated and, if necessary, action will be taken to remedy or draw consequences from the findings.

The Whistleblowing Coordinator must assess the validity of the report and inform you in writing of the results of the assessment within 30 days of receipt of the complaint. In cases of factual or legal complexity, this period may be extended by up to 30 days, but not more than twice. The Whistleblowing Coordinator must inform you in writing of the extension and the reasons for it before the expiry of the time limit.

When submitting a report via the NNTB website or the iOS or Android app, each report submitted is assigned a security code that is displayed on the screen. Write down or copy this code and store it safely. Using this code, you can track the progress and results of the investigation. You will be kept informed of the progress of the investigation via messages in the notification details.