NACUA Hosts Ombuds Session at 2024 Conference

Shannon Burton will speak at the 2024 conference of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the influential professional association of attorneys working in higher education. This is just the third time that NACUA has heard from a University Ombuds and the first conference session. (In May 2023, Jessica Kuchta-Miller, Ellen Miller, and Steve Prevaux gave a webinar, and in June 2023, Sarah Klaper and Chinyere Ukabiala represented IOA at NACUA's annual meeting.) Burton, the University Ombudsperson at Michigan State University, will speak at the conference in Columbus, Ohio later this month.

Here's the description of her session on June 28, 2024: 

07I. How Can a University Ombudsperson Assist Attorneys in Addressing Conflict Between Departments?

3:45 PM-4:30 PM

Many attorneys working in a University legal office have heard the term "ombuds" but how many of us understand what they do? And more importantly, how they can be a valuable partner for the legal office in addressing conflict inside the university? This session will answer both of those questions.

• Introduction to ombudsperson: history, evolution and current mission;

• What the ombudsperson does on the campus;

• The intersection of the ombudsperson and the legal office: where their paths intersect and how the ombudsperson can work with the legal office;

• How the ombudsperson can work with the legal office in resolving internal disputes; and

• Trends: where is this heading?

Shannon Burton, University Ombudsperson,  Michigan State University; Robert Farrell, General Counsel and University Secretary, University of Scranton

(NACUA 2024 Conf Info.)

Related posts: IOA Seeks Authors for First Book; Student Affairs Podcast Features Four Ombuds; Ombuds to Present to National Association of College and University Attorneys; IOA White Paper Summarizes U.S. Legal Context for Ombuds Confidentiality.