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The Ombudsman's role is to ensure that every member of the university
community receives fair and equitable treatment within the university system. The Ombudsman
considers all sides of a question in an impartial and objective way, to resolve problems and
concerns raised by students, faculty,civil service, and administrative personnel.
We can:
- help you determine your options and rights
- investigate the facts surrounding an incident
We can't:
- negotiate for any one party in a dispute
- force a solution on anyone
- serve as an office of notice to Ohio University
The Office of the University Ombudsman provides an independent and
confidential service to the Ohio University community. The Ombudsman is empowered to investigate
complaints and facilitate or negotiate their resolution. The Ombudsman has the right of access to
university records, reports and other documents. To ensure objectivity, the Ombudsman is
independent of all existing structures, reporting to the Provost only on administrative and
budget matters.
The office does not keep identifying records nor assume a custodial role
for formal documentation. Staff members do not testify at formal proceedings.
The powers of the office allow the Ombudsman to facilitate change and
elicit the full cooperation of all members of the university community.
With few exceptions (i.e., sexual harassment), you are in control
of every inquiry made to the Office of the Ombudsman. We take no action without asking you first. Your
anonymity is maintained to the greatest extent possible.
Another exception to the confidentiality and anonymity rule: If you
talk to us about doing harm to yourself or to another person, we may not keep this to ourselves.
To the extent that we feel that there is a credible threat to your or someone else's well-being,
conscience may dictate that we intervene without your approval.
The Office of the Ombudsman is an independent, neutral, confidential and informal
resource. It does not accept formal complaints or notice for Ohio University. If a visitor wishes
to make a record, or put the insitituion "on notice," that is, to make the university formally
aware of a particular problem, we can provide information on how to do so.
The term ombudsman arose from its use in Sweden, where it is a common word
meaning the people's representative or agent. The origin of the word is found in the Old Norse
words umbuds man, meaning representative. It is also found in Norwegian (ombudsmann) and Danish
(ombudsmand).
The first ombudsman was appointed by King Charles XII of Sweden in 1713.
Preoccupied with fighting the Great Northern War, he had been away from Sweden for ten years and
his domestic rule had fallen into disorder. King Charles instituted the office of His Majesty's
Supreme Ombudsman, who was to oversee public officials and make sure they carried out their jobs
capably and according to the laws. In 1719 the King's Ombudsman job title was changed to Chancellor
of Justice. In 1809, when Sweden's King Gustav IVAdolf was deposed and then abdicated the throne,
a Parliamentary Ombudsman was established by the legislative body of the government. This government
role was preserved by the Swedish government in 1974 by the new Instrument of Government.
The ombudsman concept spread throughout the Scandinavian nations and
eventually has become an international concept. The United Nations views ombudsing as a tool to help
protect and promote international human rights. In the United States and Canada, ombudsmans have been
established to assist those with concerns about administrative matters. The ombudsman function is used
in state and local governments, nursing homes, universities and colleges, private industries, and
most recently in agencies of the federal government.
Eastern Montana University was the first educational institution in the
United States to appoint an ombudsman (1966). In 1967 Michigan State University became the first U.S.
university to establish an Office of the Ombudsman. During the nationwide campus unrest in the late 1960's
and early 1970's, many universities established ombudsman offices to respond to demands for a neutral
and confidential place to discuss concerns and complaints. More than 200 colleges and universities
in the U.S. and Canada now staff ombudsman offices.
The International Ombudsman Association is the international association
that represents individuals who perform ombudsman duties in institutions of higher learning:
http://www.ombudsassociation.org/.
The Ohio University Office of the Ombudsman was established in the fall of 1970,
following the campus riots and school closing in the spring of that year.
University and College Ombuds Association
http://www.encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com
Hatton, R.H. (1969). Charles XII of Sweden. New York: Weybright and Talley
1970-74: Dr. Lester Marks, Associate Professor, English
1974-76: Dr. Carol Harter, Assistant Professor, English
1977-82: Dr. Lester Marks, Associate Professor, English
1982-91: Dr. David Heaton, Associate Professor, English
1991-97: Dr. Nancy Bain, Professor, Geography
1997-2002: Dr. Butch Hill, Professor, Engineering
2002-2008: Dr. Elizabeth Graham, Professor, Communication Studies
2008-present: Merle Graybill, M.Ed., LSW
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