July 15, 2009

First Report From Iowa State University Ombuds

Elaine Newell, the ISU's Ombuds has issued an "annual report" covering the first eight-plus months of her office's operations. The ISU Ombuds program was permanently established last fall following a pilot program of two years. Between September 12, 2008, and May 31, 2009, Newell handled 73 cases from faculty, staff and students. At least 30% of the cases involved multiple issues, with supervisor conflict being the most prevalent. "I've seen a wide variety of issues presented, but a consistent theme is that people work hard and want to be respected for the contribution they're making," Newell said. Professional and scientific staff accounted for 38.3% percent of the visits to the ombuds office, followed by faculty at 28.7%, graduate or professional students at 13.6%. "This report shows that no single group has cornered the market on workplace conflict," explained Newell. (Inside Iowa State.)

Related posts: Iowa State Loses First Permanent Ombuds, Quickly Hires Replacement; Profile of Iowa State Ombuds.

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