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| Glenda Brock will serve as interim director of the University's Ombuds Office. |
Later this fall, a new independent office will provide a venue where any member of the campus community is welcome to go for problems, concerns or issues. Glenda Brock, professor of accounting in the College of Business Administration, will run the Ombuds Office on an interim basis.
“To me it's just a great opportunity for everyone on campus to have someone to talk to in confidence on any issue,” Brock said. ”The Ombuds will assist in a fair and equitable resolution of issues brought to the office.”
Confidentiality and neutrality will be of the utmost importance for anyone who uses the service.
“The Ombuds listens, helps to bring forth a greater understanding of the issue and presents possible solutions in an effort to achieve a fair and equitable resolution,” said Brock, who has also served as chair of the Academic Senate and the Accounting Department during her tenure at Cal Poly Pomona.
People who use the office can expect to be listened to and advised on methods of conflict resolution. If people using the service so choose, the person or persons they are having problems with can be brought into the fold for mediation.
“With 2,600 faculty and staff in addition to our 20,000 students, Cal Poly Pomona is a small city. The Ombuds Office should be an invaluable resource as we help to mediate our everyday issues,” President Michael Ortiz said. “In Glenda Brock, we have an incredibly ethical and unbiased individual who is well-vested in our campus community and practices.”
It's important to note that the office will not replace or circumvent pre-existing procedures for filing grievances. For example, if a student, staff or faculty member feels they have been racially discriminated against; they would be encouraged to file a complaint with the Office of Diversity and Compliance.
Brock will also not serve as an advocate or provide legal counsel, but rather she will be an independent and neutral third party.
The office will be particularly useful for students, because in comparison to faculty and staff, there are fewer channels for students to voice concerns to a neutral third party. Unlike students, employees have the option of contacting Human Resources and most staff and faculty members can contact their unions when seeking council on an issue.
The Ombuds Office is independent of the President's Office, however trends will be reported to the university president, Brock said. If an issue is brought to the attention of the president, confidentiality will continue to be honored, she added.
Stay tuned to PolyCentric to learn where the office will be located later this fall.