Ombudsman

Borrowing from Norwegian governmental tradition, the College has established the position of Ombudsman and has named William A. Carter '20, Professor of Economics Emeritus, to fill it.

The Ombudsman, President Kemeny explained, is an officer whose "client is really justice" and whose aim "is to make the system work." In short, he would receive complaints from members of the college community — students, faculty, and staff — and attempt to resolve them within the existing framework of the College.

In no case would the Ombudsman be either prosecutor or judge and in any instance where he proves unable to resolve the complaint the President of the College would be the final recourse. The office has been created, President Kemeny explained, in an effort to remove the handling of complaints from his already heavy administrative burden.

The University of Washington and Cornell University both created offices of ombudsman in 1969.

In appointing Professor Carter to the new office, President Kemeny cited the high respect in which he is held by both students and faculty, his thorough knowledge of the institution, and his capacity for leadership in times of change.

Professor Carter has been active in many phases of College affairs. In June 1970 he received the Dartmouth Alumni Award. During his 37 years on the Dartmouth faculty, he was chairman of the Social Science Division, the Economics Department, and the Committee on Educational Policy. He retired in 1965.