OFFICE OF OMBUDS
Board of Trustees Policy 4.8
(Proposal 6-06)
Senate Policy 210.1
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; 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, or until
terminated or suspended by the President, whichever first occurs.
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
02/24/06 Rescinded former policy; new policy broadens the scope of the office to
include
faculty, staff and students.
07/15/10 Was previously Policy 6.4. Renumbered and changed by adding suspension or
termination power in the President to comply with State law prohibiting non-
terminable employment. Staff council member deleted as position no longer
exists.
09/28/18 Remove appeal process of student complaints.
Proposal 6-06:
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
02 December 2018: Policy revised to current wording of Board of Trustees Policy