| TO: General Faculty
FROM: Screening Committee for Faculty Ombudsperson
DATE: 15 January 2008
RE: Call for Applications and Nominations for Faculty Ombudsperson
Stan Roux will complete his highly successful term as Faculty Ombudsperson at the end of the current academic year; consequently, applications and nominations are now being sought for the new Faculty Ombudsperson and, possibly, for an Assistant Ombudsperson as well. The office of Ombudsperson provides faculty with a prompt and professional way to resolve questions, concerns, and complaints without having to turn to their supervisors. The Ombudsperson serves as a neutral third party, providing information, counsel, and mediation to faculty who have University-related questions or problems.
The responsibilities and qualifications of this position are attached. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of interest, a statement of qualifications, and a curriculum vita. They should be sent by campus mail or electronically to the Screening Committee for Faculty Ombudspersons, c/o Office of the General Faculty, WMB 2.102, Mail Code F9500 (facombud@uts.cc.utexas.edu), no later than Monday, 11 February 2008. Nominations of individuals who would be good ombudspersons are also highly encouraged, and should be sent to the same office or to any member of the screening committee by 11 February. It is expected that the work of the new Faculty Ombudsperson will begin at the start of the fall 2008 semester.
This message is being sent to each member of the General Faculty both by email and in printed form by campus mail. The Call for Applications and Nominations for Faculty Ombudsperson can also be found on the Faculty Council's web site.
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS
FOR FACULTY OMBUDSPERSON
The Faculty Council and the Executive Vice President and Provost are seeking nominations for Faculty Ombudsperson and, possibly, for an Assistant Ombudsperson, an office that provides faculty a prompt and professional way to address questions, concerns, and complaints without having to turn to their supervisors. The Ombudsperson serves as a neutral third party, providing information, counsel, and mediation to faculty who have University-related questions or complaints.
The Faculty Ombudsperson's concerns extend to all aspects of University life that affect faculty. Ombudspersons answer faculty questions about due process and professional treatment; mediate disputes; receive, examine, and channel complaints of faculty to appropriate University officials or committees (including the Faculty Grievance Committee, the Academic Freedom and Responsibility Committee and Equal Opportunity Services); and seeks expeditious and impartial redress. The Ombudsperson ensures that case records are maintained in a confidential manner; recommends to University officials procedures or policies as necessary; makes a written annual report to the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Faculty Council regarding the operation of the Office of the Faculty Ombudsperson; makes periodic reports to appropriate University standing committees when issues arise that should be addressed by those committees; and, when deemed necessary, reports to the Executive Vice President and Provost or appropriate University committee any valid complaint for which no remedy has been found, making recommendations as appropriate regarding such complaints.
Only tenured faculty members already employed at The University of Texas at Austin are eligible for the Faculty Ombudsperson position. Additional qualifications include:
- an understanding of the administrative procedures of the University;
- strong written and oral communication skills;
- effective interpersonal skills; the ability to evaluate objectively the facts of a given situation;
- the ability to manage the Office of the Faculty Ombudsperson; and
- an ability to act with fairness, objectivity, tact, independence, and respectful concern for the welfare of all members of the University community and the well-being of the University.
The Faculty Ombudsperson's office is located within the Office of the General Faculty. The ombudsperson will be appointed by the Executive Vice President and Provost for a two-year, renewable term, and will report directly to the Executive Vice President and Provost. He or she will maintain posted office hours. Compensation will be provided in the form of course reductions, other reduced workload expectations (research, service), and/or a salary supplement as negotiated at the time of appointment by mutual agreement of the faculty member and the provost after consultation with the faculty member's chair and dean. Provision will be made for the Ombudspersons to participate in formal mediation training through the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution in The University of Texas School of Law.
Applications should be accompanied by a letter of interest, a statement of qualifications, and a curriculum vita. They should be sent by campus mail or electronically (facombud@uts.cc.utexas.edu) to the Screening Committee for Faculty Ombudspersons, c/o Office of the General Faculty, WMB 2.102, Mail Code F9500, no later than Monday, 11 February 2008. Nominations are also highly encouraged, and should be sent to the same office by Monday, 11 February. It is expected that the new Faculty Ombudsperson will begin to learn about the job during Stan Roux’s last months, and assume the position at the start of the fall 2008 semester.
Questions regarding applications and nominations may be directed to any member of the screening committee:
Alan Friedman (chair), 471-8376, friedman@mail.utexas.edu
Susan Heinzelman, 471-8736, sheinz@mail.utexas.edu
Alba Ortiz, 471-6244, alba.ortiz@mail.utexas.edu
Janet Staiger, 471-6653, jstaiger@uts.cc.utexas.edu
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