Posted on March 24: Ombuds Office busier, issues complex

McMaster University ombudsperson Shelley Lancaster wants a more uniform approach to accommodating students with chronic mental health problems and other long-term conditions.

The number of students with mental health concerns is increasing, Lancaster says. The issue is how to balance McMaster's obligation to accommodate them with the need to protect the academic integrity of its courses.

Lancaster touched on the topic in her annual report, which covers the 12 months ending July 31, 2002. It went to Senate this month.

The Ombuds Office, which assists students, staff and faculty, dealt with 325 cases last year, including 167 academic cases, a 36 per cent jump from the previous year. Lancaster said the increase may simply mean her office is becoming better known.

Some of the most difficult cases involved students with mental health issues who were trying to remove failing grades from their transcripts. The episodic and unpredictable nature of some of these illnesses makes these problems very complex, Lancaster said. She noticed variations in how they are addressed from faculty to faculty, and says the university community could benefit from more education around mental health issues.

Academic issues raised most frequently overall included grade appeals (18 per cent), academic misconduct (14 per cent), examinations (8 per cent), and teaching quality (7 per cent).

The most common complaint about teaching practice involves instructors who read their entire lectures from overheads. Students also complain about instructors who are perpetually late for class and who appear disorganized in presenting material.

McMaster's policy on the public release of students' ratings of teaching effectiveness stipulated the policy should be reassessed in the fall of 1999.

That review is now more than three years overdue, and Lancaster recommended a committee be struck to do it.

Lancaster said much has been accomplished in the past year, including the appointment of an academic integrity officer and various policy improvements.

(The Hamilton Spectator, March 21, 2003)