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Mediator Robert Benjamin offers reasons to hope that President-Elect Barack Obama will be a boon to the alternative dispute resolution field and a valuable endorsement of mediation:- Obama appears to think in a systemic frame, as opposed to a linear frame, and he operates from a more flexible protean perspective, un-tethered to any particular ideology or orthodoxy.
- Obama’s personal history, being from a multi-racial and cultural background, offers him up as the embodiment of the ‘protean self’ suggested by Robert J. Lifton.
- Obama’s leadership style offers a model for the highest quality of negotiation and mediation practice and invites emulation and application in other areas.
Benjamin concludes that professional conflict practitioners should prepare to capitalize on Obama's leadership and the example he sets. (Mediate.com.)
Michigan State University's Graduate School has developed an impressive collection of resources for constructive conflict resolution between faculty and graduate students. In addition to a book, Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts, the program has produced video vignettes to spark discussion about the expectations and underlying interests that may be unspoken in many common graduate school conflicts. The clips are available on a DVD and some are online. (MSU Gradaute School; Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts in Graduate Education, via Campus-adr Weblog.)
On the recommendation of University Ombuds James R. Fazio, Ph.D., the UI Faculty Council approved a plan to extend Ombuds services to the student body. Previously, the Ombuds Office was available only to faculty and staff. However, Fazio did not believe that students would increase the workload unreasonably. The Faculty Council also agreed to recognize both faculty and staff Ombuds with equal status. (UI Faculty Council Minutes.)
The US Department of Defense watchdog agency is hiring an Ombuds -- "a neutral, independent, confidential resource tasked with facilitating the resolution of internally-generated complaints, disputes and disagreements regarding the equitable and/or impartial application of OIG policies and procedures and providing feed-back of such systemic problems, issues, and complaints to the IG and senior management." The position will report directly to the Inspector General. Annual salary ranges from $93,107 to $157,412; applications are due November 17, 2008. (FederalGovernmentJobs.com.)This posting reflects the continued expansion of federal Ombuds programs.
Related posts: Senate Bill Would Create DOD-Wide Ombuds Office; Inspector General Recommends Realignment of TSA Ombuds Program; Senate Approves Funding for New FOIA Ombuds Office; National Taxpayer Advocate Plans Study of Federal Ombuds; GAO Urges USDA to Hire Ombuds.
UW invites nominations and applications from faculty and staff for the position of University Ombuds. Candidates must have at a Master’s degree and at least 10 years of relevant experience at a leadership level in a higher education institution or equivalent setting. Priority will be given to candidates who apply by November 10, 2008. No salary indicated. (UW Job Posting.)Related posts: Grad Student's Perspective on UW Visiting Ombuds; UW Faces Lawsuit Despite Mediation by Ombuds; UW Searching Internally for Ombuds.
The public university in San Marcos has named Walter E. Rudzinski, Ph.D., as University Ombudsman. Professor Rudzinski will serve a three-year appointment, through August 2011. Rudzinski has been a faculty member at Texas State since 1979 and recently served as Chair of the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. (Appointment Letter.)
Two research scientists sued the pharmaceutical company for employment discrimination, alleging, among other things, retaliation after they filed internal complaints with the Corporate Ombudsman. The federal court in Connecticut denied many claims, but allowed the retaliation claim and other causes of action to proceed. The issue of the Ombuds' role was not addressed in the court's decision. (Byra-Grzegorczyk v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., 572 F. Supp. 2d 233, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63553 (D. Conn. 2008), available at docstoc.com.)
Mediator Robert Benjamin offers reasons to hope that President-Elect Barack Obama will be a boon to the alternative dispute resolution field and a valuable endorsement of mediation:
