Inside Iowa State

May 31, 2006

Lewis, Weigel named ombuds

by Diana Pounds

Two former Iowa State administrators will launch Iowa State's ombuds office.

Edwin Lewis, former associate provost, and Grace Weigel, who served as assistant dean of students, will return to campus to serve as informal problem-solvers for ISU employees. They will serve as part-time ombudspersons in the new office that will open Aug. 15.

In his 40-year career with Iowa State, Lewis served as a psychology professor, counseling psychologist, chair of the university honors program and in a variety of administrative positions in academic affairs. He retired in 1998 after a 10-year stint as associate provost.

Weigel is a former North Dakota municipal court circuit judge who served as Iowa State's assistant dean for judicial affairs from 1987 through 2004. In that position, she supervised university judicial services and was in charge of adjudicating all major student disciplinary cases.

Lewis and Weigel's role as ombudspersons will be to offer impartial, confidential help to faculty, staff and graduate and professional students who have work-related problems. They will listen, offer advice and help individuals explore their options. Sometimes they will serve as facilitators, helping those involved in disputes to discuss resolutions.

"The ombudsperson tries to help solve problems before they grow into formal appeals," said Tahira Hira, assistant to the president for external relations and executive administration.

The ombuds office, in 69 Physics, will open Aug. 15. Office hours and details on how to seek assistance from the ombudspersons will be announced later this summer.

An ombuds office has been under discussion on campus for more than a decade. Both the P&S Council and Faculty Senate have proposed creating the office at one time or another. Last year, President Gregory Geoffroy appointed a small group of Faculty Senate, P&S and administrative leaders to develop the proposal for the new office.

The ombuds office will operate as a three-year pilot program.

Ombuds offices are becoming increasingly common on campuses. Several hundred colleges and universities, including the University of Iowa, have ombuds services.

"The ombudsperson tries to help solve problems before they grow into formal appeals."

Tahira Hira, assistant to the president for external relations and executive administration