The Ombuds Blog: Robert Shelton: Long-time University of Kansas Ombuds

January 16, 2019

Robert Shelton: Long-time University of Kansas Ombuds

Bob Shelton, who served as the KU University Ombudsman for 18 years, passed away on December 23, 2018. Shelton was a professor for nearly five decades, and was Chair of the Religious Studies Department at KU for ten years. He was widely regarded as a leader in the Organizational Ombuds field and in 1993 was elected president of the University and College Ombuds Association.

Shelton is also one of the Distinguished Emeriti of the International Ombudsman Association. A memorial service will be held on January 26, 2019 at First United Methodist Church in Lawrence, KS. (Obituary.)

Related posts: Interviews with Leading Ombuds Give Perspective on Future of Profession; Journal of IOA Focuses on Fairness and Equity; IOA Seeks Nominations for 2017 Distinguished Emeriti Ombuds.

2 comments:

Glenda L Dickson1/16/2019 11:45 AM
Tom, thank you for posting this, otherwise I would not have known. Dr. Shelton was the first person to welcome me (and Dr. Halfacre) in the world of Ombudsing at our first UCOA conference. He was a man of wisdom, integrity and inspiration and a kind soul that contributed so much to the Ombuds profession. I extend my thoughts and prayers to his family.
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Anonymous2/05/2024 9:14 PM
Bob Shelton was one of the best teachers I ever had. His class the "Loving Relationship" was just incredible.
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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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