Ombudsperson acts as adviser at ND
By MARIBEL MOREY
News Writer
Notre Dame can seem pristine and magical when first stepping on campus. But the administrative policies deter some members of the Notre Dame family — faculty, staff and students who are facing discrimination. From sexual orientation to gender and race discrimination, University Ombudsperson Kevin Misiewicz hears the complaints.
As an ombudsperson, "I help the person with clarifying their situation and getting a better grasp of their options," said Misiewicz, who is also an associate professor of accountancy.
When faculty, students or staff have a question about their options, they can go to Misiewicz.
However, this non-paid administrative position gives him no authority in administrative change. He likes to refer to himself as a facilitator usually helping people see their options.
The ombudsperson position was established six years ago when the University was revising its stance with homosexuality.
"The idea was to come up with somebody that people could come to and talk to confidentially," he said. "And [to serve] as an objective source of information for clarification."
Businesses and corporations usually have an ombudsperson, but they generally have more authority to intervene in situations than Misiewicz has at Notre Dame, he said.
In the first year, he worked with 15 faculty, staff and students in their individual cases. A third of these cases dealt with serious experiences with discrimination, he said. Some people felt discriminated because of their disabilities. Others did not think they were being treated fairly because of their race, gender or sexual orientation.
Most of his cases come from staff members because students and faculty use other outlets.
"Students are more comfortable going to their rector," he said. "If you live in a dorm, you go to the rector. If you live off campus, you tend to go to the Office of Residence Life."
Misiewicz has received a positive reaction from the administration.
"The administrative people were sincerely interested in the interests of the person subjected to discriminatory harassment. But this does not mean that things always got resolved," he added.
As the third person to hold this position, University president Father Edward Malloy appointed Misiewicz to the position 2 1/2 years ago.
All three professors had already received tenure when appointed ombudsperson and also have large families. As a tenure faculty, "Unlike anyone else, we are much more secure in our positions," he said. "It's easier for us to ask some tough questions. And we are also more firmly rooted here."
Though he and Malloy have never physically met, Misiewicz is still in the process of sending the University president an overview of his first year as ombudsperson.
"I need to send something to Malloy showing him my first-year experience to make him aware of several things to changes to make in administrative rules, to make the University better," he said. "But that's between me and him."
All News Stories for Thursday, November 30, 2000
