General Counsel Limits Scope of Proposed Ombuds Program at Northwestern

In the Spring of 2007, the Northwestern General Faculty Committee approved a plan to create an Ombuds program to serve faculty. An update at the latest faculty meeting indicated that the administration was still supporting the plan. However, the university’s general counsel has recommended setting up rules that would address the exclusion of handling certain situations, such as sexual harassment. The faculty representative is working with with the attorney to draw up a joint approval letter to be presented to the administration. (NU GFC 2007-08 Annual Report; GFC Minutes 1/7/09.)

Most Ombuds programs at peer universities serve all campus stakeholders -- faculty, staff and students -- with any and all issues. If approved, Northwestern’s Ombuds will work only with faculty and only with a limited set of concerns. At most universities, faculty issues of all varieties comprise less than 15% of the Ombuds case load. So Northwestern is getting just a tiny slice of the benefit of a robust Ombuds program. Only time will tell whether this a step in the right direction or simply too little to justify the effort.

Prior post: Ombuds Rising: Three More Universities Considering Ombuds Offices.