Calling for an Ombuds
Right now, many faculty, staff, and administrators feel devalued and divided amid the academic, political, and economic changes at UNCG and statewide. Some of our conflicts feel intractable and may only deepen in the coming weeks and months.
In this time of conflict, faculty members have suggested that we hire an ombuds, a neutral party that informally and anonymously handles conflicts, offers advice for resolving disputes, and identifies systemic issues. Many UNC schools have an ombuds, and UNCG has considered the possibility seriously in the past. Knowing this history could help us now.
In 2016, the Faculty Senate formally recommended in Resolution #020316-1 that the university hire an ombuds. Two years earlier, Chancellor Linda Brady had terminated three university communications staff and filed felony charges against them. In response, the Faculty and Staff Senates formed a working group on the creation of an ombuds office. After 18 months of work and the facilitation of 12 focus groups, it produced a report that called for an ombuds who would “advocate for fairness and equity” and “surface and resolve issues.” (Resolution #FS04142021.8, Working Group Report)
“The ombuds could improve conflict management, increase morale, and lower the cost of employment disputes.”
According to the report, an ombuds would address conflicts on campus before they reached the grievance level. The ombuds would not replace grievance and due process committees, but would supplement them. The report argued that the ombuds would not just help with issues on campus, but would also help people navigate the tidal changes in higher education. It warned that the university would pay a price if it did not hire an ombuds. Risks included: “reduced enrollment and difficulty recruiting and retaining students due to negative press, a demonstrated loss of institutional knowledge and the increased costs of replacing employees, difficulty in recruiting top-tier candidates, and financial and legal liability due to increased employee relations issues.” (Working Group Report)
The Senate passed a resolution calling for an ombuds, but UNCG’s leadership was in transition and we did not hire one. Three years later, the Staff Senate Chairs came to a Faculty Senate meeting and reported that the Staff Senate had talked a number of times about an ombuds officer to handle conflicts anonymously. (Senate Minutes, 11/6/19) Provost Dana Dunn then asked the Faculty Senate to conduct a survey to see if faculty still wanted an ombuds. (Senate Minutes, 1/22/20) Sen. Laurie Kennedy-Malone organized the survey, which found that:
“58% of faculty they felt that did not have enough guidance or limited awareness of faculty rights to file a grievance and ... 90% of faculty responding to the survey indicated that they would seek guidance from an Ombuds Office.”
The findings of the survey “suggest[ed] the continued desirability of establishing an informal, independent mechanism to facilitate confidential inquiry and to provide additional expert advice in working to achieve fair solutions to inquiries and concerns…” The Faculty Senate passed a second resolution in 2021 that reaffirmed the call for an ombuds. (Resolution #FS04012021.8)
The university began a search in the 2021-2022 academic year, which Sen. Kennedy-Malone helped lead. The first search failed, but a second went underway and by April 2022, the search committee had eight candidates. (Senate Minutes, 4/6/22) Unfortunately, at the same time, the Board of Governors announced a new funding model which, coupled with falling enrollments, led the university to embark on continued rounds of budget cuts. The ombuds search ended. The cost of an ombuds can be significant, from $93,000 (ombuds at Appalachian State) to $123,000 (at UNC Charlotte), with the additional salary of an administrator.
The present conflict we face is incredibly difficult, regardless of where you stand. It is hard for all of us - administrators and faculty alike - to be in a regular state of distrust, fear, and division. Hiring an ombuds could serve as an olive branch and a piece of good news at a time when we need it. It might require creative funding, but the cost of our continued conflict without mediation support would be much steeper.
