March
12 ,
2004
Mount
Holyoke Welcomes New
Ombudsperson Adrianne Andrews
|
Photo: Todd M. LeMieux
Adrianne
Andrews |
Adrianne Andrews began work at Mount Holyoke
March 2 as the College’s new ombudsperson. Andrews has
served as ombudsperson at Smith College for the past two-and-a-half
years and will now share her time equally between the two colleges.
The ombuds office at Mount Holyoke opened in 1988 to ensure that every member
of the College community receives fair and equitable treatment. The ombudsperson
is here to support and assist students, staff, and faculty who believe they have
been treated unfairly. The ombudsperson is empowered to investigate complaints
and to facilitate and mediate their resolution.
President Joanne V. Creighton looks forward to working with Andrews. “The
College is committed to being a community that welcomes and affirms every member,” Creighton
said. “The ombudsperson’s role is to ensure that when conflicts arise,
the parties will be given voice and a just resolution reached in a manner that
protects due process.”
Andrews’s extensive experience in the academic world suits her particularly
well for the position, said Penny Gill, Mary Lyon Professor of the Humanities
and politics professor, who served on the search committee. She has a Ph.D. in
anthropology and a graduate certificate in African studies from Northwestern
University. After teaching in the Department of Afro-American Studies at Smith
College from 1988 to 1993, she taught in the Department of Africana Studies at
the University of Pittsburgh. She has participated in ongoing training as an
ombudsperson since taking the position at Smith, including formal training in
mediation, and is currently participating in advanced mediation training and
multicultural conflict resolution. “She has a very analytic understanding
of the complex structures of many personal issues and conflicts,” Gill
said. “She thinks systemically, perhaps a reflection of her career as an
anthropologist.”
Andrews agrees that her academic background
has given her valuable insight in her work as ombudsperson. “I
have experience as a faculty member, so I understand faculty
issues and the dynamics of faculty behavior. Having been a student
of color, I feel I am able to understand the concerns of students
of color, while at the same time remain sensitive to the issues
that Euro-American students face as well.” She added that
her work as ombudsperson at Smith has given her an understanding
of staff concerns as well as “sensitivity
to the issues that administrators face in keeping the institution running harmoniously
and effectively.”
As ombudsperson, Andrews will handle
only informal grievances; she has no jurisdiction over formal
grievances. “I want to help redress grievances through mediation
before they become formal grievances,” she said. “Mediation is
a wonderful tool for resolving differences, for getting win-win outcomes.”
Andrews emphasized the impartiality of
her position. “While I may be seen
speaking with members of the administration or with parties in a conflict, I
am absolutely impartial.” She also stressed that her office is totally
confidential, “unless there’s a threat to an individual, self,
or the institution.”
Andrews looks forward to “establishing the trust and integrity in running
the office” she has achieved at Smith. “It takes time and experience
in a community to do that,” she said. Andrews added that she feels very
welcome and supported at Mount Holyoke already. She will be on campus Tuesdays,
Thursdays, and Friday afternoons this spring.
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