DATE: April 9, 1999

TO: Bradley University Students, Faculty, and Administration

FROM: Bradley University Senate Executive Committee

RE: Academic Ombudsman

The two-year term of our current Academic Ombudsman, John Haverhals, will expire on August 31. The Faculty Handbook, Chapter 2, Section E-5, mandates that the Executive Committee of the University Senate shall, after inviting nominations from the faculty, administration, and students, submit to the University Senate a nomination for approval. The nominee must be a full-time faculty member who has taught at the University a minimum of three years. The name of the nominee, following approval by the University Senate, shall be forwarded to the Student Senate by the President of the University Senate. The Student Senate shall then confirm or reject the nomination. If the nomination is rejected, the Executive Committee of the University Senate shall begin the nomination procedure anew. The election shall be held in April of each odd-numbered year, and the Ombudsman shall begin the two-year term of office in September.

The role of the Academic Ombudsman is described in the Bradley University Student Handbook: "The Academic Ombudsman, a faculty member to whom students may bring complaints about teaching, operates under the following conditions. The Ombudsman will have a purely communicative function. If the student desires, after the student discusses the complaint with the Ombudsman, the Ombudsman will communicate the nature of the complaint to the instructor involved. Then, if the student thinks an insufficient corrective effort has been made, the student may discuss the matter with the Ombudsman and request that the complaint be forwarded to the instructor's chair or director."

The University Senate Executive Committee encourages Students, Faculty, and Administrators to nominate faculty, who meet the prerequisites for the office, by returning the bottom portion of this memo to the University Senate Secretary, Dr. Mary Jo Mays (Burgess 217).