Job Posting: North Carolina State University
The public research university in Raleigh is hiring its second ever Student Ombuds. The position will serve a student body of nearly 35,000 and reports to the Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs. This is a short search -- the expected hire date is February 1, 2016.
Applicants must have a masters degree in a relevant discipline and at least five years of experience. Knowledge of NC State University and IOA certification (CO-OP) are preferred qualifications. No salary indicated. (NCSU Jobs.)
Related post: First Student Ombuds at North Carolina State University to Retire.
So, they want an Ombuds who is CO-OP IOA certified, at the same time that they require the Ombuds to "Function as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) for Clery Act reporting purposes". Wouldn't a certified Ombuds lose his/her CO-OP status if she/he reported as CSA?
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, if one of the job responsibilities is to "function as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) for Clery Act reporting purposes," then how can the student ombuds be certified through IOA, which the announcement states is required? As I understand it, being a CSA as a university ombuds is a glaring violation of IOA's standard of confidentiality. It seems this responsibility would prevent NC State from attracting any of the well qualified ombuds already certified (because their certification would likely be revoked). More importantly, it seems this would prevent the program itself from earning the trust of students because it can't meet the program's claims that it is confidential. Please help clarify anything I'm not understanding.
ReplyDeleteI can't explain the contradiction. However, the CO-OP Board does have an ethics complaint procedure: https://www.ombudsassociation.org/Certification/Board-Policies/Ethics-Complaint-Procedure.aspx
DeleteHere are a couple other curious contradictions. The faculty ombuds seems to be set up well and within IOA's standards: the role reports to the Chancellor and is explicitly not a CSA.
ReplyDeletefacultyombuds.ncsu.edu/faculty-ombuds-office/principles-practices/
It seems odd that the student ombuds would have a subordinated reporting structure (academic affairs) and be designated as a CSA.
I think it would benefit NC State on many levels to be consistent internally and apply the same principles of the faculty ombuds to the student ombuds. It seems that such inconsistency could put both programs at significant risk if either were put to the test on this standard. Removing the CSA for the student ombuds would do that, and align with many other university ombuds programs.