The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: News

Media Credit: COMPILED BY COLIN DUNLOP AND ALEC WOODEN [Click to enlarge]

The role of an ombudsperson is as foreign to some as the word itself sounds.

But before three new ombudspersons join the University by October to hear complaints from students, faculty and staff, one ombudsperson from Georgia State University thinks it's important for people to understand who the officials are and what they do.

"Everything I do is confidential," said Donna Douglass Williams, the student and staff ombudsperson at Georgia State University. "It's not an office of record."

In 1809, Sweden created the first ombudsman, whose job was to hear people's complaints about the government.

Proposed by University President Michael Adams as one of a number of policy changes following the slew of sexual harassment cases at the University, the ombuds offices will serve as informal and confidential settings to handle sexual harassment complaints.

Tom Jackson, vice president for public affairs, said he envisions the ombudsperson as a "go-to person" if someone "doesn't know what to do or where to go."

Another one of the University's changes is that official complaints and investigations of sexual harassment cases, formerly handled by the Office of Legal Affairs, now will be overseen by the Equal Opportunity Office.

Williams said if someone came to her with a sexual harassment complaint, she would ask them to tell their story and then talk to them about their options.

She said she would then "refer them to the [Equal Opportunity Office]" because, "I can't do anything in terms of enforcement."

Williams said it is important for the ombudsperson to work with the Equal Opportunity Office, because of the nature of sexual harassment complaints, which "have to be on record - to track people who are perpetual offenders."

Many other universities have ombudspersons, and most offices hear a variety of complaints.

Some do not hear harassment complaints at all.

Tommie Howard, the ombudsperson at the University of Florida, said he does not hear sexual harassment complaints. He said if a Florida student has a problem, they can go to the department head or dean or student services to report harassment. The student will be referred to human resources.

"Unfortunately we get a steady stream," of sexual harassment complaints, said Kyle Cavanaugh, the vice president for human resources at Florida.

Louisiana State University, University of Texas, Georgia Tech, University of Virginia and others have ombudspersons.

Howard made recommendations for the future ombudspersons.

"You have to be someone who truly cares," he said.

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