NIU officials are weeding through nearly 100 applications to find a new ombudsman for the university.

The search committee, consisting of 10 members, is reviewing applications for a permanent ombudsman. The deadline for applications was Nov. 2.

John DeLillo, NIU art professor and chairman of the search committee, said the committee has to review 94 applications. He said they will not make a final recommendation to NIU President John La Tourette, who has the final decision, until early next semester.

The ombudsman deals with problems like academic misconduct and grade appeals. And, according to statistics compiled by Bertrand Simpson, former ombudsman and an associate professor of management, the job is a busy one.

Simpson’s statistics report the type of clients served by the ombudsman, the areas cited in criticism and the most frequent sources of problems from April 25, 1989 to May 18, 1990.

Simpson served 239 people during his term, with 186 undergraduate students, 30 graduate students, 10 civil service staff, five faculty, four no_rank faculty, three under the heading labeled other and one student_at_large.

The report cited 238 criticisms in 30 different areas. Topping the list of numerous mentions was the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which had 66 citations.

Some of the other areas with less problems include the University Health Service, the Bursar’s Office and the Parking Division, statistics report.

The most frequent source of problems and their incidence of report were department-level policies (42), grade appeals (36), teaching conduct issues, including instruction, advising, evaluation procedures and fluency (32), miscellaneous advising (23), financial aid policies and procedures (13), housing issues (12) and academic misconduct (11).

The ombudsman is not on campus solely to listen to students’ complaints, said Interim Ombudsman Stacy Dolby. He said he thinks ‘complaint’ is a negative word and the ombudsman should be viewed as an encouragement.

“The bulk of the people who come to our office are not complaining; they are looking for assistance to their problems,” he said.

The new ombudsman will replace Dolby, who has been filling the position since Aug. 1. Dolby retired from NIU in May, 1989, after 26 years of working as the assistant director of Student Housing.

La Tourette chose Dolby for the position after receiving Simpson’s recommendations.

Simpson said he told La Tourette that Dolby always helped him when he was ombudsman and said he thought Dolby would be a good choice.

“(He) is a very caring person who knows a lot about the university. My highest recommendation went to him,” Simpson said.

However, Simpson said he disagrees with the limited term of the ombudsman’s position, which is a three-year term with a possibility for a two-year renewal.

Simpson’s three-year-and-two-month term ended Aug. 15, when he took a full-time teaching position. He said he enjoyed his former job but is “a man with a family who needed a job that offered him more longevity.