The University Senate of Michigan Technological University

PROPOSAL 6-06

(Voting Units: Entire Senate)

REQUEST FOR CHANGE IN BOARD OF CONTROL POLICY 6.4 ON OFFICE OF OMBUDS

An Office of the Ombuds shall be established by the Senate of Michigan Technological University. Its purpose shall be to provide confidential, impartial, informal conflict resolution services to faculty, staff and students prior to the filing of any formal grievance. The Ombuds office seeks to resolve conflicts through informal mediation efforts. Ombuds mediation efforts are to be terminated upon the filing of a formal grievance, at the request of the member of the university community seeking Ombuds services, or by the judgment of the Ombuds Officer. Consultation with the Ombuds Officer will not preclude or impair other avenues of grievance, investigation, or adjudication available to faculty, staff and students.

The Ombuds Officer shall report to the President, and may recommend policy changes to the President for consideration.

The Ombuds Officer shall be appointed by the appointing committee which shall consist of the following members of the Michigan Tech community:  one member appointed by the President; one member elected by the Senate from among its members; one member elected by the Academic Faculty; one member elected by the Staff Council; and one member elected by Michigan Tech enrolled students. The choice of the appointing committee must be unanimous. The term of the Ombuds Officer shall continue until his/her resignation or until terminated by a two-thirds majority vote of the entire University Senate membership.

Release time and resources required to successfully execute the duties of the Ombuds' Office shall be provided by the University as determined by the President.

Background:

Michigan Tech's ombudsman position was created in 1969, just a few years after the first such position was created in any American university. Over the years the ombudsman offices have changed considerably; recently the Provost has noticed discrepancies in the ways ombudsman cases deal with faculty and with students.

After a study of Ombuds offices elsewhere, this proposal suggests broadening the scope of the office to include faculty, staff and students in an inclusive way.

History:

Prior: 06/13/69
01/28/82
01/27/84 Changed General Faculty to Academic Faculty
Fall 2005 Policy rewritten to broaden the scope of the office to include faculty, staff and

students in an inclusive way.

02/15/06 Policy revised by University lawyer

Introduced in Senate: 30 November 2005
Adopted by Senate: 18 January 2006
Approved by Administration: 30 January 2006

Revised by University Lawyer: 15 February 2006
Adopted by Senate: 15 February 2006
Approved by Administration: 21 March 2006
Approved by BOC: 24 February 2006
Became Senate Policy 210.1