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Childers Appointed College Ombudsperson

Moving quickly to implement one of the key recommendations of the Administrative Working Group on hiring and retention, President James Wright announced on Feb. 6 that Mary Childers would be appointed to the new position of ombudsperson. Ombuds offices are common at many of Dartmouth's peer institutions, notes Wright. "They provide a neutral, confidential, and informational resource for employees," he says. The Ombuds Office at Dartmouth that Childers will head will serve as a resource for non-faculty employees. Her appointment is effective immediately.

Mary Childers will be Dartmouth's first ombudperson.  The creation of an Ombuds office is a key recommendation of the Administrative Working Group on hiring and retention. (Photo by Joseph Mehling '69)

Childers will report directly to Wright and will function separately from other College grievance processes.

"Sometimes people are reluctant to bring questions about policies or workplace issues to their supervisors or to Human Resources," says Childers. "By providing a confidential and impartial resource that is separate from administrative structures, I can help staff and managers clarify their perspectives and understand their options. It's very gratifying to assist people in addressing differences of opinion that might otherwise escalate into disputes and grievances."

Childers held several key administrative posts at the College from 1993 to 2000, serving as director of the Women's Resource Center, director of capital giving and, from 1993 to 1998, director of equal opportunity and affirmative action. She currently holds an adjunct appointment in Women's and Gender Studies. A 1973 graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, Childers received a Ph.D. in English literature from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1981. She has held positions at the University of Maine at Orono, Vanderbilt University, Oberlin College, Villanova University, and Brown University, where she was a Fellow at the Pembroke Center for Research and Teaching on Women.

More recently, Childers was the associate dean of arts and sciences and senior advisor to the provost at Brandeis University, and has been an independent consultant working to help colleges and other organizations develop inclusive, stable environments. She has served on the boards of Close to Home, a domestic violence prevention project in Massachusetts, and the Institute for Public Media Arts; was an external reviewer for the University of Michigan's student judicial code; and has provided discrimination sexual harassment prevention training for a wide range of groups and organizations, including Vermont state troopers, Phillips Exeter Academy, St. John's University, and insurance companies.

Her book, Welfare Brat: A Memoir, was published in 2005 and gained instant acclaim. Currently, under the auspices of the young adult division of the New York Public Library, she is using the book as a catalyst for discussion with lower-income high school students who aspire to college. The chronicle of her poverty-stricken childhood in the Bronx struck a chord nationwide. According to the Washington Post, it is a "story that is all the proof one could require that when society invests in people, it is society itself, not just those people, that benefits." Childers has also contributed numerous articles to scholarly journals and the mainstream media. Her most recent article, "Cars and Freedom, Cars and Fear," appeared in The New York Times on July 23, 2006.

"In her role as ombudsperson," Wright says, "she will work closely with the Offices of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, Human Resources, and the General Counsel to ensure that inquiries and concerns are addressed quickly, thoroughly, and fairly. I am certain that Mary's knowledge of Dartmouth, her experience in conflict resolution, and her proactive approach to developing positive workplace environments will be invaluable assets to Dartmouth as we work to provide an inclusive and welcoming climate for all staff."

The president thanked Provost Barry Scherr and the other members of the Administrative Working Group on Hiring and Retention responsible for producing a set of recommendations that will, beginning with this appointment, move Dartmouth closer to achieving its goal of an enhanced administration that supports faculty and students while providing opportunities for professional growth for all staff members.

Implementation Committee
Sheila Culbert, senior assistant to the president; Bob Donin, general counsel; Adam Keller, executive vice president for finance and administration; Stuart Lord, interim vice president for diversity; and Barry Scherr, provost.

By LAUREL STAVIS

 

Administrative News: This is the first in a series of articles in Vox of Dartmouth reporting on the progress of initiatives to enhance the administration. Last year, working groups made recommendations on hiring and retention, communications and culture, and the budgeting process.  Those recommendations are now being put into place by an implementation committee.

 

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