A University Council committee is looking for opinions from the NIU community regarding the fate of NIU’s Office of the Ombudsman.

The office is open “to assist all members of the university community—students, faculty, administrative, civil servants—in accomplishing the expeditious settlement of their problems,” as stated by the UC after its last review of the office in 1984.

The UC’s committee C is addressing two separate issues regarding the office. They will review a proposal to lift the position’s term limitation, in addition to addressing a regular review of the office.

Committee C Chairman Joan Greening said although the two issues are unrelated, “committee C decided to combine the issues because we felt that the people concerned about one issue will most likely be concerned about the other.”

The first issue deals with the present term limitation imposed upon the position. Officeholders are hired for one term of three years and can be re-elected only once for a second term of two years.

The term limitation was established to ensure that the present officeholder is free from administrative or other personal attachments which would impair the employee from fairly completing the full extent of the office’s directives.

However, Greening said, “The two previous ombudsmans encouraged the elimination of the terms.”

University Ombudsman Tim Griffin also is advocating the removal of the term limitations.

In regard to the review of the term limitations, Greening said, “This is an issue which needs to be pulled away from the individual (officeholder).” As to the initial reasoning for the term limitations, she added, “What we will see is whether the university community still believes that.”

The second issue to be addressed by the committee concerns a regular four-year review of the office. When reviewing the office in 1984, the UC stated the office should be reviewed concerning “the question of the continuing need for the Office of the Ombudsman.”

Greening said although the review could “theoretically” eliminate the office from the university, “that doesn’t seem to be the feeling. As far as we can tell it’s only been done once before and that was 10 years ago.”

In regard to both issues, she said, “Every single member of the university community really has the opportunity to respond to these issues.”

Opinions and comments regarding the Office of the Ombudsman should be directed to Joan Greening, care of NIU’s Career Planning and Placement Center. The deadline for all comments is March 26.

Committee C also has contacted the Faculty Senate, the Student Association, the Council of Deans and other NIU supportive staff councils for their opinions regarding the reviews.

“The councils have been asked to respond, but we would also like individuals to respond because this is important to everybody,” Greening said.

After committee C makes its decision, the issue will be brought before the UC at its April 24 meeting.