{"id":104538,"date":"2019-10-21T16:13:08","date_gmt":"2019-10-21T14:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=104538"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:32","slug":"new-ombuds-already-handling-dozens-of-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/10\/21\/new-ombuds-already-handling-dozens-of-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"New ombuds already handling dozens of cases"},"content":{"rendered":"

Edith Weijnen is so busy that she has already scrapped her walk-in hour. There\u2019s no need for introductions: people have known where to find her from Day One. While the Ombudsperson facility is still a trial project, it has definitely caught on.<\/p>\n

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Ombudsperson Edith Weijnen <\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRonald van den Heerik<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cThere was a clear need for an independent third party,\u201d says Weijnen looking back on her first months in this role. Erasmus University\u2019s very first ombudsperson set up shop on 1 June.<\/p>\n

Staff members and students prefer to set an appointment off campus. This offers more privacy and reduces your risk of running into a colleague or acquaintance in the waiting room. We\u2019re meeting off campus for this interview too. \u201cI do that quite often,\u201d says Weijnen. \u201cMost people want to meet in private: outside the university, where no one can see them. That\u2019s fine with me, and I don\u2019t mind accommodating them in this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

What kind of things do you do as an EUR ombudsperson?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis position was actually conceived by several universities working together; it\u2019s part of a national pilot project. We\u2019ll be jointly determining which shape it should take exactly. An ombudsperson occupies an independent position within the university organisation. The main difference with a confidential counsellor is that the \u2018ombuds\u2019 is authorised to look into cases, complaints and other incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter just over four months, I feel fairly confident in saying there\u2019s a real need for an independent party whom people can turn to with their problems. And I think this independent position makes a fundamental difference. And in some cases, simply talking something through can help people back on their feet again \u2013 what they needed most of all was a listening ear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Many people sit across from me with tears in their eyes.\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

\u201cIn this job, I encounter a lot of emotions: many people sit across from me with tears in their eyes. I try to listen to them with empathy and determine whether it\u2019s an issue that can be addressed. In addition, I try to determine whether it may point towards a more structural problem. If I continue to feel this may be the case, I\u2019m authorised to launch an inquiry. That\u2019s the most substantial instrument at my disposal, since it results in a report and I\u2019m expected to issue an assessment of the matter.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cStill, I\u2019m not afraid to tell people: I feel bad for you, but it is what it is and I can\u2019t help you any further. EUR has a wonderful network of confidential counsellors. Everyone has his or her own role. However, the ombudsperson occupies a unique position, thanks to his or her independence and authority to mediate and investigate.\u201d<\/p>

Do you get a lot of people coming in?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it\u2019s busy. Taken individually, we\u2019re talking about dozens of cases, but this includes larger \u2018batches\u2019 \u2013 a number of people who\u2019ve contacted me about the same matter. These are broader issues that can easily relate to 200 people at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m surprised about how long people can keep going until they cross a certain line. You find a lot of smart, assertive people working here who are truly sad, tense, hurt or ill when they contact me. They\u2019ve tried all sorts of other things, but keep running into a brick wall. My independent position possibly makes it easier for them to take this step. I\u2019m happy that I\u2019m able to fulfil this role and give them hope. I can often identify ways for them to break the deadlock.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cases are very different, and I\u2019m not just contacted by staff members. Students come to me with study-related problems \u2013 evaluations, for instance. International students mainly ask about practical matters. PhD candidates are often unhappy about how long their doctoral programme is taking, or because they\u2019ve become stuck in a rut for reasons unclear to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

A big difference between your position and that of confidential counsellor is that you\u2019re authorised to initiate an inquiry. Have you done this already?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m constantly investigating matters, but so far I haven\u2019t launched a formal inquiry. Four months are basically too short to know for sure whether you\u2019re dealing with a serious issue. I am staying on top of a number of questions, though. Right now I\u2019m still orientating myself, of course. On the one hand, I want to get the right feel for the university as an organisation \u2013 although I take care to preserve the necessary distance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Executive Board cannot direct me in substantive matters. They are allowed to tell me that they aren\u2019t pleased with a mediation or intervention on my part , but I\u2019m not avoiding a confrontation anywhere if I feel it\u2019s justified and necessary. While we could definitely run into each other in the course of our work, it wouldn\u2019t be a good sign if we had ten clashes per year. It\u2019s important to stay positive and constructive. As an ombuds, you\u2019re at a risk of seeing issues everywhere you look, because people are constantly coming in with new problems. But it\u2019s also important to keep an eye on everything that\u2019s going well. You need to keep your eye on the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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