September 21, 2010

Western Michigan University Ombuds Office Moves Closer to Student Affairs

Western Michigan University has taken steps to more closely align its Ombudsman Office with student affairs both programmatically and physically. Earlier this year, the WMU Ombuds Office took over the late withdrawal process from the Office of the Registrar. Then last week, the Ombuds Office moved into WSU's student services building.

The administrative assistant for the Ombuds Office, who previously worked in the Advocacy Office for Transfer Students and Military Affairs, told the campus newspaper that he supports closer alignment.
“The Ombudsman Office was moved so it could be relocated closer to student affairs,” McConnell said. “Since student affairs is headquartered in [the] Faunce Student Services [Building], it made more sense to be by them.”

“We were already doing things like grade appeals. Moving the Ombudsman Office seemed more natural under this sort of umbrella,” McConnell added. “We don’t actually make the decisions of the withdrawal process but the appeals are a natural extension of the process.”
The WMU Ombuds Office opened in 1970, but then was shuttered in 2007 when the Ombuds retired. After an internal search, the office reopened in July 2008. (Western Herald.)

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