The
      Ombuds
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Micheal
      R.
      Hea
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Do
      you
      have
      a
      problem
     
     
      with
      the
      system
      and
      no
      one
     
     
      seems
      to
      be
      helping
      you?
      Are
     
     
      you
      upset
      about
      a
      mark
      and
     
     
      the
      professor
      won't
      review
      it?
     
     
      Are
      you
      having
      a
      problem
      in
     
     
      residence?
      Is
      a
      fellow
      student
     
     
      making
      you
      uncomfortable
     
     
      and
      you
      don't
      know
      where
      tc
     
     
      turn?
      Is
      the
      administration
     
     
      continually
      losing
      your
      files?
     
     
      Do
      you
      have
      a
      concern
      about
     
     
      campus
      life
      and
      no
      one
      seems
     
     
      to
      be
      listening?
      If
      any
      of
     
     
      these
      situations
      sound
      like
      the
     
     
      types
      of
      problems
      you're
     
     
      encountering
      then
      you
      should
     
     
      know
      that
      your
     
     
      ombudsperson,
      Michael
     
     
      Klenavic,
      will
      try
      his
      best
      to
     
     
      help
      resolve
      the
      problem.
     
    

    
     
      The
      ombudsperson
      is
      a
     
     
      student
      who
      runs
      in
      the
     
     
      general
      student
      elections
      held
     
     
      annually
      --
      you
      didn't
      see
      my
     
     
      name
      on
      the
      ballot
      as
      I
      was
     
     
      acclaimed.
      It
      is
      my
      job
      to
      act
     
     
      as
      a
      mediator
      for
      a
      student
     
     
      who
      is
      having
      any
      type
      of
     
     
      problem
      with
      the
      administra-
     
     
      tion,
      staff,
      faculty,
      or
      another
     
     
      student.
      To
      quote
      from
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      SU
      constitution,
      Article
     
     
      XII
      sub-section
      2,
      my
      role
      as
     
     
      the
      ombudsperson
      is
      to
     
     
      "Endeavour
      to
      aid
      any
      mem-
     
     
      ber
      of
      the
      UPEI
      SU
      who
     
     
      encounters
      difficulties
      with
     
     
      the
      University
      and/or
      with
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      SU."
      That
      is
      to
      say
     
     
      that
      I'm
      much
      like
      a
      defence
     
     
      lawyer,
      only
      a
      very
      poorly
     
     
      paid
      one.
      Ombudsperson's
     
     
      powers
      include
      being
      able
      to
     
     
      search
      through
      any
      files
      at
      the
     
     
      student
      union,
      being
      allowed
     
     
      to
      sit
      in
      at
      closed
      meetings
      of
     
     
      the
      student
      union
      executive,
     
     
      attending
      student
      judiciary
     
     
      committee
      hearings
      (which
     
     
      ’
      hopefully
      will
      be
      up
      and
     
     
      running
      again
      this
      year),
      and
     
     
      being
      present
      at
      hiring
      board
     
     
      meetings,
      all
      in
      hopes
      of
     
     
      being
      better
      informed
      when
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
      September
      10,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
      person
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      helping
      students.
      Although
      I
     
     
      have
      all
      these
      privileges,
      I'm
     
     
      not
      allowed
      to
      vote
      in
      council
     
     
      so
      as
      to
      remain
      impartial.
     
     
      The
      UPEI
     
     
      ombudsperson
      generally
      deals
     
     
      with
      a
      variety
      of
      problems
     
     
      ranging
      from
      security
      to
     
     
      academic
      concerns.
      Some
     
     
      such
      problems
      are
      things
      like
     
     
      dead-bolts
      in
      #esidence,
      e-
     
     
      mail
      misuse,concerns
      about
     
     
      smoking
      in
      public
      areas,
      and
     
     
      academic
      appeals.
      As
     
     
      ombudsperson,
      I
      will
      make
     
     
      inquiries
      about
      different
      types
     
     
      of
      solutions
      and
      then
      try
      and
     
     
      mediate
      a
      reasonable
      solution
     
     
      between
      the
      parties.
      Of
     
     
      course,
      what's
      reasonable
      is
     
     
      completely
      in
      the
      opinion
      of
     
     
      the
      ombudsperson!
      When
      an
     
     
      obvious
      solution
      isn't
      present,
     
     
      I
      will
      dig
      deeper
      and
      try
      to
     
     
      find
      background
      information
     
     
      about
      continuing
      problems
      or
     
     
      campus
      concerns
      and
      then
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _disseminate
      findings
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      relevant
      parties
      and
      adminis-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      trators
      to
      help
      initiate
     
    
   
   
    
     
      changes.
      Overall,
      it's
      a
      fun
     
     
      job
      which
      generally
      gets
      done
     
     
      behind
      the
      scenes
      without
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -much
      fanfare,
      but
      it
      is
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
      important
      job
      for
      those
      who
     
     
      have
      run
      up
      against
      a
      wall
     
     
      and
      are
      frustrated
      with
      the
     
     
      system.
      While
      some
      prob-
     
     
      lems
      are
      too
      large
      for
      me
      to
     
     
      tackle,
      I
      should
      be
      able
      to
     
     
      direct
      you
      to
      the
      proper
     
    
   
   
    
     
      person
      who
      can
      help
      you.
     
    

    
     
      Of
      course,
      you
      are
      all
     
     
      wondering
      how
      you
      can
      get
      in
     
     
      touch
      with
      me
      if
      you
      do
      have
     
     
      a
      problem
      over
      the
      next
      year.
     
     
      The
      easiest
      and
      best
      way
      is
      to
     
     
      e-mail
      me
      at
     
     
      klenavic@cycor.ca
      or
     
     
      mklenavic@upei.ca
      I
      check
     
     
      my
      e-mail
      regularly.
      You
      can
     
     
      also
      call
      the
      Student
      Union
     
     
      office
      at
      566-0530
      and
      leave
     
     
      a
      message.
      I
      consider
      all
     
     
      problems
      confidential
      and
     
     
      handle
      them
      as
      such.
      When
     
     
      you
      leave
      a
      message
      you
      need
     
     
      only
      leave
      your
      name
      and
      a
     
     
      contact
      number
      or
      e-mail.
      Do
     
     
      not
      go
      into
      depth
      about
      the
     
     
      problem
      as
      the
      person
      taking
     
     
      the
      message
      may
      share
      your
     
     
      problem
      with
      others
      --
      which
     
     
      is
      not
      always
      appreciated.
     
     
      Remember,
      I
      am
      also
      a
     
     
      student
      and
      thus
      have
      con-
     
     
      straints
      on
      my
      time,
      but
      I
      will
     
     
      do
      what
      I
      can
      to
      help.
      I
      will
     
     
      try
      to
      respond
      to
      problems
     
     
      within
      48
      hours.
      If]
      haven't
     
     
      responded
      within
      72
      hours,
     
     
      then
      it
      is
      most
      likely
      that
      I
     
     
      have
      missed
      your
      message
     
     
      and
      you
      should
      send
      it
      again.
     
    

    
     
      So,
      to
      sum
      up,
      I'm
     
     
      Michael
      Klenavic,
      your
      UPEI
     
     
      SU
      Ombudsperson,
      and
      I'm
     
     
      here
      to
      help
      you.
      My
      e-mail
     
     
      is
      klenavic@cycor.ca
      or
     
     
      mklenavic@upei.caand
      you
     
     
      can
      leave
      messages
      at
      566-
     
     
      0530.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dr.
      Elizabeth
      Percival
     
     
      Wins
      National
      Award
     
    
   
   
    
     
      University
      of
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island
      psychology
     
     
      professor,
      Dr.
      Elizabeth
     
     
      Percival,
      has
      received
      word
     
     
      that
      she
      will
      be
      the
      recipient
     
     
      of
      the
      1996
      Sarah
      Shorten
     
     
      Award.
      The
      Award,
      estab-
     
     
      lished
      by
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      Association
      of
      University
     
     
      Teachers
      (CAUT)
      in
      1990,
     
     
      recognizes
      outstanding
     
     
      achievements
      in
      the
      promo-
     
     
      tion
      of
      the
      advancement
      of
     
     
      women
      in
      Canadian
      universi-
     
     
      ties.
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      Percival
      was
      the
     
     
      first
      woman
      appointed
      to
     
     
      UPEI’s
      Faculty
      of
      Arts
      more
     
     
      than
      twenty
      years
      ago.
      Ever
     
     
      since
      she
      introduced
      her
      first
     
     
      course
      in
      the
      Psychology
      of
     
     
      Women
      she
      has
      been
      a
     
     
      driving
      force
      behind
      wom-
     
     
      en’s
      initiatives
      on
      campus.
     
     
      She
      was
      instrumental
      in
     
     
      founding
      the
      Women’s
     
     
      Studies
      Group,
      she
      assisted
     
     
      in
      the
      opening
      of
      the
      Wom-
     
     
      en’s
      Centre
      on
      campus
      and
     
     
      was
      the
      first
      co-ordinator
      of
     
     
      the
      Women’s
      Studies
      Pro-
     
     
      gram.
      She
      has
      actively
     
     
      participated
      in
      establishing
      a
     
     
      Women’s
      Studies
      minor,
      two
     
     
      awards
      in
      Women’s
      Studies,
     
     
      and
      a
      Women’s
      Studies
     
     
      Newsletter.
     
    

    
     
      She
      has
      dedicated
     
     
      herself
      to
      social
      change
      for
     
     
      women
      through
      research
      and
     
     
      action,
      making
      outstanding
     
     
      contributions
      as
      a
      teacher,
     
     
      scholar,
      and
      feminist
      activist.
     
     
      “Beth
      has
      shown
      tremendous
     
     
      leadership
      ability
      and
      organi-
     
     
      zational
      skills.
      She
      has
     
     
      helped
      to
      implement
      policies
     
     
      at
      all
      levels
      and
      of
      all
      na-
     
     
      tures,
      she
      has
      fought
      for
     
     
      legislation,
      she
      has
      published
     
     
      meaningful
      research,
      she
      has
     
     
      been
      part
      of
      countless
     
     
      educational
      initiatives
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      she
      is
      noted
      for
      her
      dedicated
     
     
      service,”
      stated
      UPEI
      Presi-
     
     
      dent,
      Dr.
      Elizabeth
      Epperly.
     
     
      Dr.
      Percival
      is
      widely
     
     
      recognized
      for
      her
      ability
      to
     
     
      integrate
      women’s
      initiatives
     
     
      at
      the
      University
      with
      those
     
     
      inthe
      community
      through
     
     
      such
      programs
      such
      as
      a
     
     
      women’s
      film
      series,
      a
     
     
      “Voices
      of
      Women”
      lecture
     
     
      series,
      and
      a
      women’s
     
     
      literature
      group.
      She
      chaired
     
     
      the
      province’s
      first
      Advisory
     
     
      Council
      on
      the
      Status
      of
     
     
      Women,
      is
      a
      former
      vice-
     
     
      president
      and
      president
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Psychological
      Association
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PEI,
      former
      president
      and
     
     
      board
      member
      of
      the
      Cana-
     
     
      dian
      Research
      Institute
      for
     
     
      the
      Advancement
      of
      Women
     
     
      and
      a
      founding
      board
      mem-
     
     
      ber
      of
      Media
      Watch
      (National
     
     
      Watch
      on
      Images
      of
      Women
     
     
      in
      the
      Media,
      Inc.)
     
    

    
     
      In
      one
      of
      more
      than
     
     
      twenty
      letters
      of
      support
      of
     
     
      her
      nomination,
      a
      former
     
     
      student
      wrote:
      “In
      her
     
     
      classes,
      Dr.
      Percival
      goes
     
     
      above
      and
      beyond
      the
      call
      of
     
     
      duty
      to
      “teach”
      the
      required
     
     
      material.
      She
      adds
      a
      passion
     
     
      and
      sense
      of
      commitment
      to
     
     
      the
      women’s
      movement,
     
     
      which
      in
      turn
      allows
      us,
      as
     
     
      students,
      to
      feel
      we
      too
      CAN
     
     
      makea
      difference.”
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      Percival
      will
     
     
      receive
      the
      Sarah
      Shorten
     
     
      Award
      in
      November
      at
     
     
      CAUT?’s
      annual
      general
     
     
      meeting
      in
      Ottawa.
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      TEES)
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Naas
      ao
     
    
   
   
    
     
      C9
      the
      vor
      vai
      Nira:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Seondeay.
      Sept
      2
      L006
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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