University Ombudsman

For full Job Description and to apply for this role, visit our Career Site at https://careered.referrals.selectminds.com/jobs/ombudsman-aiu-online-9854

The Office of the Ombudsman exists to provide an advocate whose job it is to find equitable resolutions to student issues before they are escalated outside the four walls of the University. The primary purpose of the Office of the Ombudsman is to achieve a fair resolution and work to protect the rights of all parties involved.  The Ombudsman will provide strategic leadership and oversight for all functions within the Office of Ombudsman.  The Ombudsman and their staff will collaborate closely with all departments to determine and implement resolutions to student issues.  They will maintain a proactive approach for addressing and minimizing student complaints and will be accountable to ensure appropriate follow-up efforts with students are conducted.  The Ombudsman will establish policies and procedures that are fair, efficient and well-documented.  This is a system-level position that will support multiple institutions.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

• Creates and implements a strategic vision for the Office of Ombudsman.
• Manages a staff of direct reports including recruiting/hiring, performance management, and making and executing staffing plans.
• Plans and executes continuous improvement initiatives for the Office of Ombudsman.
• Administers the complaint management system and ensures that all the student inquiries are initially responded within 48 hours and resolved within 7 days of the original complaint receipt.
• Acts as a primary contact for all students who wish to appeal departmental decisions and involve the University grievance process.
• Works to ensure proper follow-up within other departments of the University.
• Provides guidance for students to ensure that the student’s issues are taken care of in a timely manner.
• Assist the student in navigating his or her way through the University’s Grievance Procedure.
• Determine and document the reasons behind the student complaint.
• Explain the University’s institutional policies and procedures so that the student understands the reasoning behind them.
• Act as a liaison in facilitating conflict resolution.
• Act as an active mediator so that we can arrive at an acceptable resolution to satisfy all parties involved.
• Facilitate training programs with department managers on handling conflicts and student rights issues.
• Maintain historical reports to track the number and types of complaints that have been escalated by department.
• Identify trends in student complaints and collaborate across functional areas to develop and implement mitigation initiatives.
• Work closely with legal and compliance departments on any issues that have been forwarded to an outside agency.
• Provide guidance and recommendations to the Appeals Committee if a student is not satisfied with the final resolution.
• Provide recommendations to the Administration on policy changes to address chronic problems identified and student rights issues.
• Stay current and provide training to varied groups of stakeholders on regulations related to student rights (e.g., Title IX, ADA, etc.).  Establish policies and procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, Competencies

• The Ombudsman provides strategic leadership for the Office of Ombudsman across the system.
• The Ombudsman proactively seeks to create a campus environment in which potential conflict situations are avoided and conflict situations that may develop can be de-escalated.
•  The Ombudsman should seek to facilitate suggestions about campus improvements and bring those to the attention of university leaders, as well as answer student inquiries and serve as a liaison between the student and University departments or employees where communication has broken down or is not moving towards resolution.  
• The Ombudsman helps to provide students with information about University policies, regulations, and procedures and if problems occur, facilitates and guides the student through the University grievance process when appropriate.

Education and Experience: Minimum

·       Conflict Resolution and/or Mediation skills and experience.

·       Minimum of five years management or leadership experience is required.

·       Terminal Degree required.

·       Knowledge of federal, state and accreditation regulations applicable to the education industry (ADA, Title IX, FERPA, etc).

·       Ability to think and plan strategically.

·       Effective written and verbal communication skills.

·       Strong organizational and follow-through skills.

·       Coaching/Active Listening skills.

·       Ability to collaborate effectively within all levels of an organization.

·       Experience with data collection and reporting to support data-driven decision making.

·       Detail oriented and analytical while managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.