FIRST OMBUDSPERSON NAMED FOR THE UNIVERSITY
OF HOUSTON
Teri Elkins Longacre Will Confidentially Advise Faculty, Staff and
Help Resolve Disputes
HOUSTON, Sept. 7, 2006 – Teri Elkins Longacre, an associate
professor of management, has been named ombudsperson at the University
of Houston, the first person to hold the newly created position.
As ombudsperson, Longacre will confidentially advise faculty and
staff members regarding issues related to their employment with
the university. As a neutral third party, the ombudsperson will
not act as an advocate for any individual or for the university,
but rather provide faculty and staff members with an informal mechanism
for addressing workplace conflicts, questions and concerns. The
ombudsperson will not participate in any formal grievance process,
conduct formal investigations, provide legal advice or engage in
administrative decisions.
“Like a growing number of companies and educational institutions,
the University of Houston has taken a proactive approach to identifying
and resolving employment-related concerns by creating the position
of faculty and staff ombudsperson,” Longacre said. “As
a supplement to other organizational resources, an ombudsperson
can be a valuable asset by serving as an early warning system and
helping to effect positive change. I am honored to have been selected
for this position and excited about serving the university in this
important role. In providing ombuds services, I hope to promote
fairness and foster a positive work environment at the university
by offering informal, neutral and confidential mechanisms for early
conflict resolution and problem-solving.”
The ombudsperson position was created following recommendations
from both the Faculty Senate and the Staff Council. The appointment
is for a two-year term with the possibility of renewal by mutual
agreement.
Longacre was appointed by Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
and Provost Donald J. Foss, who announced the creation of the position
last spring, invited applicants, and convened a search committee
to review candidates. The search committee was chaired by UH Law
Center Professor Raymond Britton and included faculty and staff
members. The committee recommended three candidates to Foss, who
made the final selection.
Longacre earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Management
from UH in 1995 and a J.D. from the UH Law Center in 1997. She joined
the UH faculty as a visiting assistant professor in 1995 and was
named associate professor at the Bauer College of Business in 2003.
“I am very pleased for the campus that Professor Longacre
is willing to serve as the inaugural holder of this important campus
position,” Foss said. “Her professional background suits
her well for this role, and she has already demonstrated a commitment
to it. I’m looking forward to getting her ongoing input on
how we can improve policies and practices on the campus.”
Services provided by the ombudsperson may include making referrals
to appropriate university resources, helping faculty and staff analyze
complaints by identifying issues and outlining available options,
coaching employees in addressing and managing conflict, facilitating
communication, and mediating conflict at the request of disputing
parties. Periodically, the ombudsperson will review patterns of
concerns and may provide the university’s president and provost
with suggested changes to policies and procedures that could eliminate
or reduce recurring workplace problems, enhance the effectiveness
of university resources, or increase the quality of work life for
university employees.
Ombudsperson Longacre can now be reached via e-mail at ombudsperson@uh.edu
and by phone at
713-743-2417.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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