Q & A

In February MARY CHILDERS became Dartmouth's first ombudsperson in what she calls "a great experiment." Childers, a conflict resolution consultant for schools and companies, was the first head of the Women's Resource Center and is former director of capital giving and director of equal opportunity and affirmative action at Dartmouth. The College will evaluate the efficacy of this half-time position after three years.

What has surprised you so far?

I never knew what a problem parking is for so many employees! It's a significant issue for those who may be late to work trying to find a parking space yet need a car to get their kids back and forth to day care. The issues run the gamut from quotidian to more serious.

How many of the issues you're dealing with are about supervisors as compared to those about subordinates?

A lot of the complaints I hear are not about either. Of those that are, about two thirds are about managers. Sometimes, unknowingly, by virtue of the superior position, a supervisor has silenced an employee. When I'm asked to speak to a manager about this and the manager immediately gets it, it's gratifying.

How much of your job is rooted in the College wanting to avoid lawsuits?

Although helping people understand the law is part of what I do, I'm here because Jim Wright and those in senior administration are committed to fairness.

Would a more effective human resources department eliminate the need for an ombudsperson?

Our HR department is becoming more professional every day. There will always be a need for ombuds because HR is always in a dual role. Some employees who come to me are working with HR on other matters, but there are some issues they want to compartmentalize.

How will the effectiveness of your function be evaluated?

It will be judged on the number of people who use the services and how many of those people report on actually being helped.

To ensure confidentiality, once an employee's issue is resolved you destroy the paperwork. How much have you shredded?

I have no idea, but I do know my office has gloriously empty filing cabinets.