Appendix D: Faculty Ombudsperson

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D.1 Role

The faculty ombudsperson is an independent, confidential, impartial, and informal resource available to the faculty to facilitate cooperation and consensus through education and mediation. The ombudsperson is a designated neutral or impartial dispute resolution practitioner whose major function is to provide confidential and informal assistance to all faculty of the institution. Serving as a designated independent neutral, the ombudsperson is neither an advocate for any individual nor the organization, but rather, serves as an advocate for fairness who acts as a source of information and referral, aids in answering questions, and assists in the resolution of concerns and critical situations. More specifically, the ombudsperson engenders awareness and skill development in the areas of conflict resolution, communication, team building and civility.

In a neutral and impartial role, the ombudsperson assists faculty complaints with the goal of promoting alternatives to adversarial processes. The ombudsperson maintains collaborative relationships with other university offices, but the ombudsperson does not replace the university's existing resources for conflict resolution. The ombudsperson may not disclose specific identifying confidential information without the consent of the faculty member communicating with the ombudsperson.

The ombudsperson reports to the university president and serves a 2-year term with no limit on the number of terms.

D.2 Responsibilities

The ombudsperson’s responsibilities include:

Dispute Resolution, Consultation, and Referral

Provide impartial and confidential consultation to members of the college/university faculty community who are aggrieved or concerned about an issue;
Remain independent, neutral, and impartial, and exercise good judgment;
Assist inquirers in interpreting college/university policies and procedures, seeking input from appropriate offices when needed;
Provide assistance to inquirers by clarifying issues and generating options for resolution;
Facilitate the inquirer's assessment of the pros and cons of possible options;
If direct action by the ombudsperson may be an appropriate option, obtain the inquirer's agreement and permission before proceeding;
If necessary, and while maintaining confidentiality, conduct appropriate informal fact finding in order to better understand an issue from all perspectives;
Consult with faculty to develop cooperative strategies for complaint resolution;
With the inquirer's permission, consult with all parties to clarify and analyze problems, focus discussions, and develop a mutually satisfactory process for resolution;
When appropriate, facilitate group meetings, use shuttle diplomacy, or negotiation skills to facilitate communication among parties in conflict;
When legal and/or disciplinary issues arise, the ombudsperson refers the case to the appropriate unit of the university.

Policy Analysis and Feedback

Community Outreach and Education

D.3 Procedures for Selection

Nominations for ombudsperson will be solicited at least 90 days before the end of the current ombudsperson’s term. The Faculty Ombudsperson has been chosen by a six (6) person selection committee composed of three (3) members appointed by the Faculty Senate and three (3) members appointed by the president.

The selection committee’s nominee is subject to the approval of the Faculty Senate and the president.

D.4 Compensation

The faculty ombudsperson will receive release time for one 3 credit course each academic term and an annual stipend of $7,500.

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