Students Selected as Peer Ombuds at Wesleyan University
Four students have been selected as the first Student Ombuds for private liberal arts college in Middletown, Connecticut. Seniors Amy Guaman and Kalyani Mohan, junior Logan Tomlinson, and sophomore Sarah Asiedu and will serve for the 2021–22 academic year and are managed by Wesleyan's Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion, and Success, April Ruiz. According to the student newspaper, the Student Ombuds "underwent an intensive three-day training session" from September 1 through 3 (which was not a time that IOA offered Foundations). There is no apparent relationship between the Student Ombuds Program and the Ombudsperson for faculty and staff, Israela Adah Brill-Cass. In addition, the Student Ombuds are not confidential with regard to sexual misconduct issues (although Brill-Cass is confidential consistent with IOA standards). (Wesleyan Argus, Student Ombuds, University Ombuds.)
While I appreciate that universities like Wesleyan are increasingly recognizing the need for additional resources to support students, this plan is problematic for our field and unlikely to be sufficient for their community. Divvying up ombuds work amongst four undergraduates who likely have other commitments and responsibilities is not in keeping with the level of training, experience, professional focus, or structural independence that should be baseline expectations for serving as an “ombuds.”
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