Ombuds as a Solution for Academia’s Postdoc Bullying

An editorial in yesterday's Chronicle of Higher Education asserts that "a lack of oversight and accountability allows abusive faculty mentors to operate unchecked in research labs." This is a situation that many University Ombuds know well. The author, Azmi A. Ahmad, is a postdoctoral researcher at Yale, a notable R1 university without an Ombuds program. He offers steps universities should take to mitigate harassing behavior in their research labs, including the creation of an Ombuds program: 

• Overhaul grievance procedures to ensure that reporting mechanisms are clear, accessible, and effective. An ombuds office that meets international standards would provide a confidential, independent, and neutral one-stop shop for postdocs. 
• Offer robust protections against retaliation — including intimidation — and provide timely, decisive responses to complaints. Create pathways for postdocs to access letters of recommendation or even legal assistance in cases in which litigation is possible or their immigration status is threatened. 
• Improve the mentoring and supervisory skills of faculty members. Offer training on “bystander intervention” and on “how to be an ally.” 
• Commit to applying grievance procedures consistently and fairly — and then do so. 
• Evaluate academic departments to assess the effectiveness and compliance with institutional grievance procedures. The outcomes of complaints and evaluations should be reported to funding agencies and oversight committees. 

(Chronicle of Higher Ed.) 

Related posts: Letter to a Workplace Harasser; University Ombuds Remains a Goal for Faculty and Students at Yale; Podcast: Virginia Tech Ombuds on Academic Bullying; SHRM White Paper Promotes Ombuds as Tool for Workplace Bullying.