Susan Manring, Associate Professor of Business
Administration
and Faculty Ombudsperson
Ext. 5928 / KOBC 318
Communication by e-mail is
not recommended. Please call the Faculty Ombudsperson at 278
- 5928 if you have questions or concerns.
The
Faculty Ombudsperson at Elon University
The Faculty Ombudsperson is authorized to confidentially
receive complaints,
concerns, or inquiries about alleged acts, omissions,
improprieties and/or broader systemic problems within the
ombudsperson’s defined jurisdiction, and to listen,
offer options, facilitate resolutions, informally investigate
or otherwise examine these issues independently and
impartially. The Ombudsperson is authorized to work
exclusively with teaching faculty.
Associate Professor Susan Manring currently serves as
the Elon University Faculty Ombudsperson. She is a member of
The International Ombudsman Association, an organization that
promotes the on-going development and support of Ombuds in
the university, college, and corporate settings.
Functions
of the Office
The Elon University Faculty Ombudsperson seeks to promote
fairness, conflict resolution, and cooperation through
education, negotiation and mediation. The Faculty
Ombudsperson adheres to the Standards of Practice adopted by
The International Ombudsman Association. These standards were
developed in accordance with commonly understood principles
within the Ombuds profession and reflect the core values of
IOA. The Standards of Practice help guide members in making
responsible choices and further, are intended to promote
constituents’ understanding of and confidence in Ombuds
Offices and their services.
The professional standards of independence,
informality, neutrality, and confidentiality guide
the work of the Ombudsperson. The Ombudsperson is
independent of all formal university
processes or procedures. Therefore, he/she is authorized to
informally assist with the resolution of
issues and disputes. The Ombudsperson is a designated
neutral and does not function as an advocate
or representative. All conversations with the Ombudsperson
are confidential, except in cases where the
safety or security of others are concerned, when permission
is given by the complainant to speak with others involved in
the case, or in cases where the Ombudsperson may be required
by law to testify.
The Ombudsperson…
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Listens
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Coaches individuals to assist them in achieving their goals
themselves
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Engages in shuttle diplomacy between individuals to assist
communication
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Mediates to reach a mutually-created agreement
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Promotes a safe place to talk, to the extent provided by
law
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Answers questions or helps find someone who can
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Helps analyze situations, and identify and
evaluate options for resolving problems or conflicts
in the workplace
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Remains impartial to ALL individuals
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Facilitates communication between individuals or groups
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Seeks to prevent negative conflict through early
intervention
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Provides important feedback to the President and Academic
Council by reporting issues and trends without
disclosing identities
The Ombudsperson Does NOT…
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Take sides, arbitrate or adjudicate
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Intervene if the faculty member has already contacted
an attorney or the Office of Human Resources
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Become involved in a case that has reached a disciplinary
or termination process because it is no longer an informal
matter
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Become involved in a personnel dispute if a hearing before
a University grievance panel has occurred and the proposed
decision has been sustained by the hearing board, or if a
grievant is represented by counsel
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Conduct formal investigations
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Make administrative decisions for administrators
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Give legal advice
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Determine "guilt" or "innocence" of
those accused of wrong-doing
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Make or change policy
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Take action without permission
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Act as a witness or later testify in a formal grievance or
legal proceeding unless compelled by law
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Keep identifying records nor assume a custodial role for
formal documentation
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Participate in any formal grievance processes
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Breach Confidentiality
Due to the confidential, independent, informal, and neutral
functions of the Ombuds office, communication with the Ombuds
DOES NOT constitute notice to the University
Ombuds
Office Categories of Concerns and Reporting
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the Ombudsperson to submit an
annual report to the President and Academic Council. The
confidentiality of all cases and persons will be
maintained. In addition to faculty rank and gender,
permissible types of information to be reported include:
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The total number of new cases during the period June 15
– June 15.
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Identifying the following categories of concern, which
include:
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Offensive behavior
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Services and Facilities
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Academic concerns
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Health and Safety
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Procedures and Policies
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Ethics
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Strictly Interpersonal Conflicts
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External Issues
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Problematic Style of Management and Communication
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Identifying trends or systemic problems within the
University
Definitions of
Categories of Concern
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Offensive Behavior: intimidation, sexual harassment,
cultural discrimination, religious discrimination, racial
discrimination, and/or offensive language.
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Services and Facilities: institutional benefits/activities
and/or the physical, structural or environmental aspects of
the work place.
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Academic Concerns: issues related to curriculum, grading,
pedagogy, and/or intellectual property.
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Health and Safety: any aspect of the working conditions
that may negatively impact the health and safety of
employees and/or opportunities to keep physician
appointments and have adequate time for treatment and
recovery.
-
Procedures and Policies: clarification of policies (both
written and unwritten), how they apply to specific
individuals, and what procedures one should follow to
register a formal complaint.
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Ethics: behavior that does not conform to professional
standards of conduct
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Interpersonal Conflicts: persons in a unit of the
university are having repeated and multiple problems in
communicating with one another: a faction within a unit
perceives the behavior of another faction or individual to
be offensive; conflict between individuals that may or may
not be mutual but seem unrelated to their jobs and work
situation, though these usually become involved.
-
External Issues: issues unrelated to the work place that
negatively impact employee performance.
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Problematic Style of Management and Communication: visitors
feel that their chair or higher administrator:
a. does not listen to them or respond to discussion of
issues
b. is unavailable for discussions
c. refuses to offer explanations for their decisions
d. subtly or jokingly threatens to withhold or allocate
resources or positive
evaluations
e. asks for personal assistance unrelated to university
work
f. agrees to work-related terms with the faculty member
but does not
fulfill that commitment
g. goes into a rage and verbally insults others
h. always seems to blame others when things go wrong
Forms of
Assistance Provided to Ombuds Office Visitors
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Individual Consultation
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Referral
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Mediation or Group Facilitation
Definitions of
Forms of Assistance
Individual Consultation, often about university policies and
procedures, is the primary form of assistance provided by the
Ombudsperson. It involves extensive discussion of a situation
to discover the visitor’s concerns, consider their
goals, discuss potential strategies that one might utilize to
resolve the conflict, educate about the university’s
formal and informal organization, and/or discuss timing of
actions and diplomatic approaches to taking action.
Assistance in this category often includes conflict coaching
to explore ways that one might raise difficult issues,
approach others, and/or attempt to gain cooperation. Some
cases result in formal complaint procedures during or after
Ombudsperson consultation, but the Ombudsperson is never
directly involved in this process due to the informal nature
of the Ombudsperson’s role within the university.
Referrals occur when the visitor’s needs are best met
through contact with another university office or department.
In all instances an Individual Consultation precedes
referrals.
Mediation or Group Facilitation occurs when the Ombudsperson
engages in structured mediation between two parties. This
requires separate meetings with all disputing parties prior
to a mediation session. In some instances it is necessary to
engage in shuttle diplomacy, where the ombudsperson meets
individually with all parties involved in the dispute.
Susan Manring
8/17/07
