The Ombuds Blog: Grinnell College Affirms Confidentiality of Ombuds Office for Sexual Misconduct Matters

May 06, 2014

Grinnell College Affirms Confidentiality of Ombuds Office for Sexual Misconduct Matters

A new College webpage about support resources for individuals affected by sexual harassment, sexual violence, sexual assault, or intimate partner violence, identifies which offices are confidential. Grinnell's Ombuds Office is listed as one of on-campus the "confidential resources [that] will not share information with the College without the individual’s consent."

Chinyere Ukabial has been the College's Ombuds since December 2012. (Grinnell Support Resources.)

Related posts:Related posts: Lessons From a Case of Sexual Harassment; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Ombuds Offers Confidentiality for Sexual Assault Victims; Havard Law Case Study Focuses on Ombuds and the 'Dear Colleague Letter'; Updated Sexual Misconduct Policy at University of North Carolina Reaffirms Ombuds' Confidentiality;Sexual Assault Report from University of Michigan Reaffirms Ombuds' Confidentiality; Grinnell College Appoints First Ombuds.

1 comment:

Anonymous5/08/2014 8:54 AM
Nice to see one of the schools that gets it and stands by the ombuds.

John W. Zinsser
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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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