Reconsidering the Ombuds as Advocate or Subversive Bureaucrat: Exploring the Foundations of the University Ombuds.

In 1968 and again in 1969, practitioners and scholars of the ombuds concept in higher education gathered to discuss this new idea. From these gatherings, a conference proceeding was published called The Ombudsman in Higher Education: Advocate or Subversive Bureaucrat. These meetings were the first dedicated to the topic of ombuds in higher education, and the resulting conference proceedings provided the first comprehensive document dedicated to the role. This paper seeks to analyze these proceedings in order to better understand the theoretical foundations of contemporary ombuds practice and research. Additionally, this paper also examines early definitions and considerations of the ombuds role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]