About Oberlin College: Oberlin is a highly selective residential liberal arts College and Conservatory of Music located in Northeast Ohio, with easy access to the city of Cleveland and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Together the two divisions enroll approximately 2,900 students. Founded in 1833, Oberlin was the first college in America to make interracial education and co-education central to its mission – traditions that live on today in the College’s ongoing commitment to a residential community of learning where scholarship, artistry, access, diversity, sustainability, and inclusion are central to the curricular and co-curricular educational experience. As a College and as a Conservatory of Music, Oberlin is committed to academic and artistic endeavor within the context of a rigorous and supportive student-oriented educational environment.

Oberlin’s ombudsperson is a multipartial, senior-level administrator who helps the Oberlin community—students, faculty and staff—resolve conflicts, solve problems, and communicate more effectively with others. The ombudsperson reports to the Office of the President but maintains and exercises autonomy in all responsibilities.

The ombudsperson listens, offers information about Oberlin’s policies and procedures, accepts suggestions from people who seek confidential channels for raising responsible concerns (understanding distinctions between private information and information that must be legally shared with other offices), and works for orderly and responsible change in systems.

The ombudsperson is an excellent relationship-builder and spends a significant portion of their time building and maintaining relationships across campus.

In helping to resolve conflicts, the ombudsperson may serve as a go-between or as a mediator, and ensures that any perceived pattern of structural conflict or inequality is brought to the attention of appropriate college leadership. The ombudsperson should not be risk-averse and should understand that this position may, on occasion, challenge even the highest levels of the administration in an effort to foster fair and just practices.

In addition, the Ombuds Office offers a number of services through the Yeworkwha Belachew Center for Dialogue (YBCD) including mediation and facilitation as well as ongoing educational forums and workshops on social justice and other topics. The YBCD is made up of Oberlin College student, faculty, and staff volunteer mediators trained in the Social Justice Mediation model, and promotes social change through conflict transformation, mediation, community building, and dialogue.

• Provide leadership and coordination of the Yeworkwha Belachew Center for Dialogue. (Please see YBCD section below for specifics.)

• Provide confidential and informal assistance to constituents of the college community, including students, staff, faculty and administrators, by clarifying issues and generating options for resolution.

• Mediate disputes by bringing involved parties together to reach win-win resolutions.

• Advise individuals about formal and administrative options for conflict handling and resolution. Provide referrals to other resources, whenever appropriate.

• Provide ongoing education and communication about the office’s role to the campus community.

• Uphold best practices for Ombuds and mediators with respect to confidentiality and the law.

• Facilitate active listening.

• Be responsive to campus health, safety, and ethical concerns.

• Coordinate with other offices to address inequality and equitable institutional practices.

• Point out patterns of problems or complaints to college leadership.

• Provide leadership and coordinate with appropriate offices to develop a model for multiple strategies of conflict resolution at the college.

Leadership and Coordination of the Yeworkwha Belachew Center for Dialogue (YBCD)

• Provide intakes to describe the mediation process to disputants and determine which cases are appropriate for mediation.

• Set up mediations and facilitations; match disputants with mediators and facilitators.

• Provide guidance to mediators and facilitators as needed during each intervention, particularly concerning confidentiality issues and difficult cases.

• Provide referrals to other needed services to disputants at the close of a mediation session.

• Follow up on each mediation agreement by contacting the disputants, providing support and referrals, and setting additional mediation sessions as needed.

• Schedule and facilitate regular mediation program meetings for the mediators to practice mediation and facilitation skills and discuss cases and programmatic concerns.

• Work with consultants to provide basic and advanced Social Justice Mediation training for mediators and Social Justice facilitation training.

• Coordinate and supervise the daily function of the center.

• Oversee library and update and maintain bibliography and research materials both for YBCDand the campus use.

• Coordinate the Social Justice Institute for new students during New Student Orientation.

• Maintain ties with YBCD alumni.

• Offer workshops and support YBCD members offering educational workshops.

• Maintain program records as determined by program policy and in compliance with best practices on confidentiality and technological privacy requirements.

• Maintain principles of social justice (e.g.: inclusion, fairness, etc.) and mediator ethics in program structure, personnel, organizational culture, and formal policies.

• Incorporate the innovative use of technology into mediation and facilitation processes, program management, and record keeping to enhance the access, reach, effectiveness, and efficiency of services.

• Examine ways to strengthen and support the use and reach of the program.

• Identify any patterns of conflict, injustice, exclusion, etc. among individual disputes and communicate with college leadership as part of organizational feedback for systems and policy changes as necessary.

• Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s preferred), or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Excellent skills in mentoring mediators and facilitators handling complex multicultural disputes in higher education.

• Commitment to being trained in and upholding the principles and approach of the Social Justice Mediation model foundational to the OC Ombuds Office and the YBCD.

• Outstanding problem-solving and mediation skills. Ability to gather and analyze information and assist individuals in developing appropriate options.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and in a culturally sensitive manner with both individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds.

• Thorough understanding of what leads to conflict, the nature of conflict, and methods for resolution.

• Excellent networking skills; ability to establish and maintain broad contacts throughout the college.

• Excellent ability and commitment to perform Ombuds duties in a multipartial manner.

• Excellent skills and experience in providing organizational feedback on systems issues.

• Macro and micro level conflict assessment and intervention skills.

• Strong leadership and supervisory skills for running a dynamic and unique dialogue center handling a variety of types of intervention strategies.

Note: Position involves significant commitments on nights and weekends.

• Experience as an organizational ombudsperson in higher education.

• Active involvement in the conflict resolution field.

• Knowledgeable of Oberlin College – its structure, culture, policies and practices.

• Knowledge of Intergroup Dialogue.

Within the range established for this position, salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes an excellent benefits package.

Applicants should submit a resume, along with a cover letter describing qualifications and interest in the position and contact information for at least three references electronically using the link above. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Candidates from diverse backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.