Ole Miss AAUP Raises Alarm Over Camera Outside Ombuds Office

The University of Mississippi is facing new scrutiny over its Ombuds program after the university's chapter of the American Association of University Professors raised concerns about a facial-recognition camera outside the entrance to the Ombuds Office. The group says employees discovered the camera on July 13 and argues that its presence undermines the confidentiality that is fundamental to the Ombuds function, potentially deterring faculty, staff, and students from seeking assistance.

Here is the full text of the Ole Miss AAUP Facebook post:

There’s now a facial-recognition camera pointed at the door of the Ombuds Office. That should alarm every faculty member, staff member, and student on this campus. Here’s why. 

On July 13, several employees discovered a new facial-recognition camera on the 3rd floor of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute, directly monitoring the entrance to the University Ombuds Office. They brought their concerns to us, and we think the whole campus needs to know. 

Confidentiality is the entire point of the Ombuds Office. People go there because they’ve been promised that showing up won’t be used against them. The International Ombuds Association’s Standards of Practice require that guarantee. A camera at the door breaks it. 

Once people feel watched, they stop showing up. And the problems they would have raised, like misconduct, mistreatment, and safety concerns, never get resolved at all. 

The administration says the camera is there because “students use the hallway to visit with professors.” But you don’t need targeted surveillance of a confidential sanctuary to keep a hallway safe. This camera makes it possible to identify, track, and — we believe — potentially retaliate against anyone who walks through that door. 

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has long warned about the "chilling effects” of campus surveillance and the culture of fear it creates when faculty and staff can’t safely speak up. We believe faculty have the right to raise concerns — including reporting fraud or misconduct — without being watched for it. 

We’re calling on the administration to: 

(1) Immediately remove the camera from outside the Ombuds Office and not reinstall it anywhere else on the 3rd floor of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute; and 

(2) Destroy any footage captured since installation. 

More broadly, UM needs a clear, campus-wide policy protecting confidential spaces from surveillance, including the Ombuds Office, health and counseling clinics, and other spaces where confidentiality is essential.

You can help. Please share this post. Talk to your colleagues. Join AAUP. And if you’ve noticed surveillance concerns elsewhere on campus, please tell us. We want to hear from you!

#aaup #ombuds #olemiss #IOA

The controversy is particularly notable given the university's history with its Ombuds Office, which was at the center of a lawsuit brought by its current Ombuds, Paul Caffera, in 2020 that raised questions about the independence and confidentiality of the program. (Facebook.)

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