Office of the University Ombuds

History

Old black-and-white photo of students walking past the Faunce Hall on campus.

Timeline of the Office of the University Ombuds

Open door frame showing a woman working at a desk in the Ombuds office.
  • Western Michigan University's "Office of the Ombudsman," one of the first offices of its kind in higher education in the nation, is opened in 1970, located in room 218 of the Bernhard Center.
  • WMU President James W. Miller appointed Milton J. Brawer, faculty in Sociology, to become WMU's first Ombudsman on August, 2, 1970.
  • Brawer's "Notes of a Novice Ombudsman" was published by The Journal of Higher Education in 1973, describing his day-to-day work as "part detective, personal advisor, listener, red-tape cutter, and expediter."
  • Phillip Kramer, faculty in Sociology, became Ombudsman in 1974.
  • Bryna Graff joined the office as the inaugural "Associate Ombudsman" in 1975.
  • Gregory W. Boothroyd, faculty in Counseling Services, was appointed University Ombudsman on July 1, 1980.
  • Beverly A. Belson, faculty in Counselor Education, namesake of the Beverly Belson Music Theatre Performance Scholarship and first woman lead Ombudsman, was appointed in 1986.
  • Thomas C. Bailey, faculty in English and Environmental Studies, began his first of two appointments as University Ombudsman in 1994.
  • David A. Glenn was appointed University Ombudsman in 1999.  David would go on to become Vice President for Institutional Equity for WMU.
  • Thomas Gossman, faculty in Finance and Commercial Law, was appointed Ombudsman May 1, 2001.
Black-and-white photo of a morning staff meeting in the Ombuds office, 1971.
  • Dona G. Icabone, faculty in Educational Studies, was appointed Ombudsman September 2, 2003.
  • After Dona's retirement from WMU in 2006, the position was vacant until 2007.
  • Thomas C. Bailey was appointed University Ombudsman for a second term by President Haenicke on January 7, 2007.
  • The position of University Ombudsman was evolved from a faculty appointment to a full-time staff position at WMU in 2008.  
  • Kathy Mitchell was hired as WMU's first full-time staff Ombudsman and begins July 1, 2008.
  • In July of 2009 the Office of the University Ombudsman is moved to a temporary location in Sangren Hall in anticipation of its permanent move to the Faunce Student Services Building.
  • The Office of the Ombudsman opened in its new location in its current home in office 2420 of the Faunce Student Services Building in September of 2010.
  • From March 2020 until July 2021 the Office of the Ombudsman operated solely on a virtual basis during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • In July 2020 the office officially changed its name from "Ombudsman" to "Ombuds."
  • Upon the retirement of Kathy Mitchell in April 2023, Eric McConnell, Associate Ombuds since April 2020, was appointed University Ombuds by President Montgomery on May 3, 2023.
University ombuds standing on a foot bridge.