Griffin’s tenure at NIU included the February 14, 2008, campus shooting, which occurred just outside his office. In the aftermath, he described the role of the Ombuds in helping members of the university community cope with the stress, uncertainty and conflict that followed the tragedy. He later discussed the experience at the 2009 IOA conference.
Griffin was also active in developing the profession more broadly, teaching on behalf of IOA, speaking at IOA conferences, and contributing article to the Journal of IOA.
Griffin was among the leading Ombuds interviewed for a often-cited 2011 study examining the history and future of the Organizational Ombuds profession. IOA recognized him as a Distinguished Emeritus for his significant record of service to the association and the profession. (Legacy.)
Related posts: Resources for Organizations Creating an Ombuds Office;
Profile of Northern Illinois University Ombuds;
NIU Ombuds Reflects on Campus Tragedy;
Northern Illinois University Ombuds Office Turns 40;
IOA Annual Conference Marks Fifth Anniversary With Promise of Rebirth, Rebuild and Respond;
Journal of IOA Highlights Bullying Issues
Interviews with Leading Ombuds Give Perspective on Future of Profession;
Northern Illinois University Ombuds Posts Annual Report;
Northern Illinois University Ombuds Announces Retirement;
IOA Seeks Nominations for 2022 Distinguished Emeriti.
May his memory be a blessing.
ReplyDeleteTom, thanks for this great post on my cherished friend and mentor Tim Griffin. I was fortunate to share many long conversations with Tim about academic ombudsing and life in general. He was soft-spoken, thoughtful, wise, generous with his time, and very passionate about our profession. He was one of the first recipients of the IOA Distinguished Emeritus Award in 2015. Tim was a unique soul in many ways including his long white beard. When some folks compared him to the bearded members of the rock band ZZ Top, Tim's reply was "I had my beard before they had theirs!" I will always remember him fondly.
ReplyDeleteThis post was a lovely rememberance. Thank you, Tom. Tim was truly dedicated to growing and enhancing the profession. He built community at NIU, and also with ombuds colleagues through the Midwest Academic Ombuds Group. His Ombuds 101 course at the Midwest Academic Ombuds Summer Meeting was so helpful in introducing me (and many others) to being a "proper" organizational ombuds. He also worked hard at NIU to protect the ombuds for years to come by working closely with shared governance to have the ombuds office included in and protected by the Constitution & Bylaws. It was a revolutionary move (for which I was grateful on several occasions). Thank you, Tim.
ReplyDeleteTom, thank you for the post. I’m sorry that Tim is longer with us . May he rest in peace. I remember him from my Ombuds days at Princeton when I was a newby. He has mentored generations of Ombuds and he was always helpful. We will miss him.
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