NCJ Number
93980
Journal
Arbitration Journal Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1982) Pages: 5-11
Date Published
1982
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article examines the role of college ombudsmen. Today's ombudsmen find the position's greatest strength in settling disputes involving individuals.
Abstract
Although the obvious turbulence and militance of the 1960's have vanished, today's students experience intense stress based on insecurity. Ombudsmen work at many colleges, although there is a greater likelihood of there being such a person at a large, State college or university. The disputes ombudsmen handle and the techniques they use are much less precise than those of other professionals who work at conflict settlement. The power itself is intangible, tied to credibility and heavily dependent on prestige, persuasion, and thorough knowledge of the campus bureaucracy and its rules. Normally, ombudsmen will have little impact in conflicts over policy, but in the course of resolving individual problems there may be evidence of persistent difficulties. Thus, ombudsmen are in an excellent position to flag what works well or poorly in the institution as a whole. Effective ombudsmen must have access to all persons, offices, and records in the institution. One table and seven notes are included.