The Ombuds Blog: Bates College to Review Ombuds Program

April 16, 2011

Bates College to Review Ombuds Program

In 2000, the highly selective, private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine created an Ombuds program serve staff with workplace concerns. The Ombuds program started with a network of volunteer staff, but that number has dwindled over the years to just one: Sarah Potter, the College's Bookstore Manager and Contract Officer.

According to the Bates staff newsletter, College President Elaine Hansen has requested a review with the goal of revitalizing the Ombuds program and expanding the number of Ombuds available to employees. (Bates HR Communicator.)

3 comments:

Anonymous4/18/2011 4:57 PM
It doesn't sound like it can be a very effective ombuds program. No independence. And questionable confidentiality. Why call it an "ombuds"?
ReplyDelete
Replies
Anonymous4/18/2011 5:00 PM
A+ for effort, though. Elite little colleges like that make their own rules.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Anonymous4/27/2011 9:14 AM
I commend Bates goal of revitalizing the ombudsman program. Hopefully, the review will look at the efficacy of volunteer staff as opposed to professional staff dedicated to ombuds work. My sense is, the program is not sustainable with all volunteer staff. Thoughts?
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

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

Comment Policy

Content and Relevance

Stay on topic: Comments should be relevant to the post.
Be respectful: Personal attacks, insults, profanity, inflammatory language, and discriminatory or harassing comments will not be tolerated.
No self-promotion or spam: Comments should contribute to the conversation and not be used to for commercial purposes.
No confidential information: Do not share confidential information about your organization or visitors.

Length and Format

Keep it concise: Comments should be clear and to the point. Excessively long comments may be edited for clarity and length.
Use appropriate formatting: Do not use all caps unnecessarily. Comments may include HTML formatting for readability.

Other Considerations

Be professional and respectful: Please be mindful of your content, even when commending anonymously.
Comments may be edited: I reserve the right to remove or edit any comments that violate these guidelines. My edits will be noted.
Complaints about IOA: This is not the appropriate forum to lodge formal complaints against the International Ombuds Association.
Guest editorials: Please email me directly to discuss a guest editorial offering a longer, more in-depth perspective on a topic related to the organizational ombuds profession