This study characterises the ombuds office in higher education as an innovative practice of handling employee, staff, and student grievances. Though ombuds offices have had a place on many higher education campuses for some time, their function has evolved in response to a changing environment. Drawing on Open-Systems theory, this study views the…

Handling appeals against grades is time consuming and requires allocation of resources away from the pursuit of activities such as instruction, research, and supervision of postgraduate students. This study examines grievance policies, frequencies, and outcomes of appeals at the University of California (UCB) and the University of Oslo (UIO). We…

This article explores the issues facing practitioners working in the field of student complaints and appeals (including academic appeals). It is a reflective study which examines some general and historical issues, using anonymised case studies where appropriate and highlighting the diversity of practice across the sector. The author observes that…

Complaints made to external agencies about Australian universities are rising in both number and complexity. Recent debate has therefore focused upon how to improve grievance handling in the Australian higher education sector. One suggested "solution" is the creation of a national Australian university ombudsman. The UK has recently…

The ideas of establishing an ombudsman--meaning a commissioner appointed by a legislature to hear and investigate complaints by citizens against government officials--in the United States is examined in this article. Discussion focuses on the origin of the idea and the feasibility of implementing it at the local, state, and federal levels. (SM)

Higher-education institutions in the US are increasingly hiring ombudsmen to resolve faculty members' complaints before they escalate into more serious problems. Faculty ombudsmen handle a range of complaints, from mundane disputes over office space to career-changing battles over termination.

Suggests the implementation of ombudsmen in the grievance process to provide a safeguard against overtaping the internal workings of the process which could result in severe damage and loss of efficiency. (Author)

Virginia provides an example of how states whose legislatures continue to resist collective bargaining can establish an equitable system of work place jurisprudence. (Author/IRT)

The ombudsman, often defined as a kind of inspector general, is usually empowered to: (1) investigate in confidence, without restraint, either upon receipt of a complaint or on the ombudsman's initiative; (2) recommend to any official appropriate review of the facts; and (3) publicize findings or publicly criticize malfeasance. Various…

This report of the Ombudsman at Cornell University discusses: the composition of the staff; the volume of work; the sources of the complaints (the office serves the whole University community); the classification of complaints by subject, and source of complaints by College or Agency; the procedures used in handling the complaints; the types of…

To help bridge the gap between student services and student complaints, some 30 colleges and universities are experimenting with a new concept in higher education called the ombudsman. Their objective is to defuse explosive student attitudes stemming from irritation with the institution by providing, in addition to the normal channels of…

Article focuses attention on the experiences of the Ombudsman at Sacramento State College, Sacramento, California. (CB)

The purposes of the study were: (1) to define the campus Ombudsman; (2) to review the circumstances leading to his appearance on the academic scene, (3) to describe his activities, and (4) to analyze the effects of his activities. Campus Ombudsmen were interviewed at six institutions including: the University of California at Berkeley, Columbia…