The College is preparing to search for a new ombudsman. While the office is closed, staff with grievances have been redirected to human resources or the faculty and employee assistance program.
Designed to confidentially assist staff with workplace problems, the ombuds office closed in June following the retirement of Mary Childers, who had served as ombudsman since the office opened in 2007. The College is forming a committee which will conduct a six- to nine-month search for a new ombudsman, spokesperson Diana Lawrence said.
Staff facing obstacles are currently being redirected to human resources or the faculty and employee assistance program, which offers up to eight free counseling sessions a year. According to its website, the program offers help with issues including anxiety, grief and legal problems.
Human resources consultant LeGita Scott-Williams said more have turned to the office for assistance since the ombuds office closed. But she stressed that there are salient differences between the two offices, noting that the ombuds office is confidential and exists mostly as a medium for conflict-resolution.
For instance, while human resources would handle issues related to an underperforming employee, the ombuds office would be more likely to deal with a disagreement caused by someone’s personality, Scott-Williams said.
Former College President James Wright opened the ombuds office in February 2007 in reaction to calls for greater transparency and as another problem-solving venue for staff.
Childers, who had previously worked in the women’s resource center and office of equal opportunity and affirmative action, began as ombudsman in a part-time role when the office opened.
Tom Kosakowski, an ombudsman at the University of California at Los Angeles, said the ombuds office has a unique position at a college. Kosakowski, who blogs about ombudsman-related topics, said while other offices such as human resources and counseling services might provide similar services, their staff do not necessarily maintain neutrality, confidentiality and informality.
“Counseling services give psychological service to students. By comparison, an ombuds office is going to be a good source of general information about the campus culture, politics and policies, and then provide perfect assistance when it comes to conflict-coaching, facilitation and mediation,” Kosakowski said. “Those services you won’t find at a counseling center or other resources on campus.”
Kosakowski said a well-established ombuds office should both receive and provide referrals.
Ombudsmen were introduced to universities as an alternative path for conflict resolution in the 1960s. In her 2007 master’s thesis at Cornell University, Mary Newhart found that there were only around 200 practicing ombudsmen for around 4,400 accredited post-secondary institutions.
In the Ivy League, all schools but Yale University have an ombuds office.
University of Pennsylvania associate ombudsman Marcia Martinez-Helfman said its ombuds office, established in 1971, offers help in a wide variety of matters, from interpersonal to academic issues.
Linda Falkson, an associate ombudsman from Cornell University, said they help faculty, students and staff resolve problems. Falkson said that they have been doing more outreach and get approximately 300 visits a year.
Unlike Dartmouth, the Penn and Cornell offices are designed to welcome students, in addition to faculty, staff and alumni.
Childers could not be reached for comment by press time.
