Retired chemistry professor H. Graden Kirksey knows how tomediate a problem. With a calm, cool voice, he advises, "you don'twant to appear as an advocate," and above all, "don't takesides."
For 15 months before his retirement from The University ofMemphis, Kirksey served as the faculty ombudsperson, mediating andresolving situations, disputes and differences among faculty.
Sometimes faculty members serving on boards or in otherssituations where faculty members work closely, there arisedifferences between participants, and Kirksey was there to mediate.Yearly evaluations that department chairs make of faculty membersoften bring problems by the evaluation given. All these problemsand more are handled anonymously and in a non-confrontational way,said Kirksey.
Now that he is retired, The University is looking for areplacement, "a person who is really good at resolving conflicts,"said Elinor Grusin, journalism professor and chair of theombudsperson search committee.
The committee, Grusin said, is hoping to find someone who isindependent, confidential and impartial by the start of the fallsemester. These characteristics are especially good, said Grusin,when conflicts arise among administrators and faculty.
As well as knowing how to handle differences, the ombudspersonmust know University policies and procedures, as well as haveexpertise to know when the parties involved need to be directed tocommunity resources.
The position of ombudsperson is fairly new and progressive,Grusin said. Many universities have had good results from hiringombudspersons to mediate differences. The new ombudsperson will beonly the third in U of M history.
Any tenured, full-time faculty member can apply for the positionby sending in a formal letter of application and curriculum vitae,including three references within The University by July 12, andfaculty members can be considered for the position, according tothe Provost's Office.
"I would like to encourage faculty to apply so we have a largepool of applicants," Grusin said.
