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Governance matters

For further information, contact the governance office at govern@ku.edu.

OMBUDS SUPPORT:

The University Ombuds Office, established jointly in the 1970s by the administration and governance, works to ensure that all members of the university community receive fair and equitable treatment. The Ombuds Office receives and attempts to resolve individual grievances on a confidential, informal basis and supports the goal of a fair conflict management system.

The Ombuds Office is an independent, confidential, neutral and informal resource for faculty, staff and students who find themselves in disputes within the university. It helps identify and evaluate options for resolution with all parties; serves as neutral facilitator or conciliator in problem-solving and conflict resolution; provides information and maintains resource files on campus policies, procedures and services; and provides referrals to other resources. Last year, the office was contacted by more than 430 individuals for assistance in disputes.

Recently, in accordance with the recommendations of the International Ombudsman Association, the office adopted a Statement of Best Practices reflecting the IOA Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.

The statement defines and clarifies the highest standards and best practices in the ombuds profession, as they apply within the context of KU and its ombuds office. The statement is intended to help educate the campus community about the role and scope of the ombuds office; assist the ombuds office to operate in a manner consistent with IOA professional standards, code of ethics and best practices; and discourage activities and actions which do not comply with best practices.

University governance strongly supports the work of the ombuds office and its initiative to establish best practices. At its meeting Feb. 5, the University Senate Executive Committee voted unanimously to support the proposed Statement of Best Practices for the University Ombuds office. The statement will be published on the ombuds office Web site Ombuds.

The University Ombuds is Kellie Harmon, and the Faculty Ombuds is Maria Orive, associate professor, Division of Biological Sciences, although Steve Grabow, professor of architecture and urban planning, is interim Faculty Ombuds for the 2007-2008 year while Orive is on sabbatical.

RESEARCH MATTERS

Research at KU is helping ensure the safety of bridges and extending their life spans. Stanley Rolfe, the Albert P. Learned Distinguished Professor of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, heads a team whose studies are dedicated to bridge safety. "What we do is try to blend our research and our teaching to understand the behavior of steel bridges so we can help the profession implement better design rules and better control so we do not have fractures or fatigue failures in our bridge structures," Rolfe said. For more, or to listen to the original broadcast, visit www.researchmatters.ku.edu.