By: Sierra Hubbard (Staff Writer)
The Ombuds Office has been reorganized as of Sept. 29 to better accommodate the needs of the consolidated university.
According to President Daniel Papp, “The focus of the reorganization has been on retaining high quality service.”
The purpose of an ombudsman is to provide both students and faculty with a safe zone where they can express complaints and problems with confidentiality. If necessary, the Office of the Ombuds may investigate the issue informally to find a solution that is sensitive to all parties involved.
With the reorganization finalized, there is now an advisor assuming the responsibilities of the Ombuds on each campus for students and one for staff and faculty.
Dr. Tim Hedeen will handle staff and faculty at the Kennesaw campus and Dr. Joel Fowler will assume this role at the Marietta campus.
“Faculty and staff may request Ombuds services by contacting Debra Hill at 470-578-2614,” Papp said.
Students should direct any needs for Ombuds services to Dr. Michael Sanseviro, Dean of Students, on the Kennesaw campus and to Ron Lunk, Assistant to the Vice President of Student and Enrollment Services for Student Life at the Marietta Campus.
The Ombuds Office serves an important function on campus, and the reorganization is meant to maximize efficiency for the consolidated university. In an informal survey conducted on campus, however, 67 students out of 70 did not know what the Ombuds Office was, yet 61 of these 70 agreed that having someone protect them and help investigate their claim was important.
