The AFA Executive Committee appointed Francine Montemurro as AFA Ombudsperson (Ombuds) in 2019. Ms. Montemurro has over 25 years’ experience as a practicing Ombuds. She currently serves as University Ombuds at Boston University, a position she has held since 2009. Previously she served for 12 years as University Ombuds at the State University of New York at Binghamton.
The AFA Ombuds provides informal, impartial, confidential assistance to members of the AFA who seek consultation about work-related issues including discrimination, harassment, and ethical concerns. The ombuds is a resource for AFA members to discuss concerns, develop options, problem-solve, create paths for self-advocacy, and make informed choices about the best path forward. In keeping with the principles of the International Ombudsman Association, the ombuds functions as an impartial, unbiased resource and advocate for fairness and fair practice. The Ombuds does not make business decisions, adjudicate issues, participate in grievance procedures, or conduct investigations for the AFA.
A more formal description of the duties and scope of the AFA Ombuds can be found in the charter, here:
Contact the AFA Ombuds at ombuds@afa.org
Aggregate Data (since inception of the AFA Ombuds role in 2019)
a. Workplace Status/Affiliation of Inquirer:
| Workplace Status or Affiliation | Number of Inquiries |
|---|---|
| Faculty | 27 |
| Graduate Student | 3 |
| Unknown | 2 |
| Government Agency | 3 |
| TOTAL | 35 |
b. Primary Concern of Inquirer:
| Primary Concern | Number of Inquiries |
|---|---|
| Policy / Practice | 7 |
| Integrity | 9 |
| Hostile Environment or Incivility | 1 |
| Harassment / Discrimination | 6 |
| Sexual Harassment | 3 |
| Peer / Colleague Relationship | 1 |
| Career Progression or Development | 2 |
| Evaluative Relationship | 3 |
| Work or Educational Environment | 2 |
| Employee Compensation/Benefits | 1 |
| TOTAL | 35 |
c. Perceived Gender Identity of Inquirer:
| Gender Identity | Number of Inquiries |
|---|---|
| Female | 20 |
| Male | 15 |
| Other | 0 |
| Unknown | 0 |
| TOTAL | 35 |
d. Perceived Racial Identity of Inquirer:
| Racial Identity | Number of Inquiries |
|---|---|
| Black or African American | 1 |
| White | 13 |
| Asian | 15 |
| Latino/a | 3 |
| Unknown | 3 |
| TOTAL | 35 |
Categories of Primary Concerns
1. Employee Compensation and Benefit. Salary equity, appropriateness or competitiveness of compensation, health, dental, retirement and other benefits.
2. Evaluative Relationship. Evaluative relationship (e.g., problems w/supervisor-employee, or faculty-student relationship.) May include differences in cultures, priorities, values or beliefs; or concerns about supervisory effectiveness or style, communication, trust, cooperation, etc.
3. Peer/Colleague Relationship. Peers/colleagues not in evaluative relationship (e.g., conflict between staff, researchers, or members of organizations.) May include differences in cultures, priorities, values, or beliefs; problems w/interpersonal relationships, communication, or cooperation, mistrust, misunderstandings, etc.
4. Career Progression and Development. Processes or decisions regarding entering or leaving a job or job duties. May include job progression, stability, future potential, professional development, restructuring or changing organizational relationships, nature and place of assignment, termination, etc. May include AFA members who are graduate students or post-docs.
5. Legal, Regulatory, Financial and Compliance. Perceived risk of financial, regulatory, or legal, non- compliance (whether to organization or individual.) May include allegations of waste, fraud or abuse, including, illegal activity, slander or defamation of character.
6. Safety, Health, and Physical Environment. Perceived risk to life-safety or health. May include fear of someone or something within the environment, hazardous material, potential for violence, etc.
7. Services/Administrative. Service quality or efficacy. May include poor quality of performance, responsiveness, application of rules, behavior of service providers, etc.
8. Policy/Practice. Efficacy or equity of policy or practice. May include request for clarification; or perceived need for revision, failure to adhere to published policy or document, etc.
9. Integrity. Covers academic work, scholarship or intellectual property. Perceived plagiarism, lack of research integrity, attribution of authorship, intellectual property, etc.
10. Harassment or discrimination. Perceived harassment, disparate treatment, or illegal discrimination based on protected class (excluding perceived sexual harassment.)
11. Sexual Harassment. Perceived sexual harassment.
12.Hostile Environment/Incivility. Perceived harassment, hostile environment, or incivility not based on protected class.
13. Information Requests and Transferal. (i) Requests from inquirer for information or assistance in accessing or understanding, resources, policies, procedures, etc., or (ii) Relaying of information, perceptions, or experiences from inquirer to the Ombuds.
14. Work or Educational Environment. Tone, culture of workplace or educational environment. May include perceived problems with leadership style, peer relationships, departmental norms or dysfunction.
15. Other Coaching. Coaching that does not fall primarily into any of the other categories. “Coaching” refers to collaborations intended to assist individuals develop and progress from where they are, to where they want themselves (and/or their unit) to be.
16. Other. Issues that do not fall within the above categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Ombuds role reflects the AFA commitment to the AFA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. The Ombuds provides a resource for those who have concerns related to upholding the Code; this includes those who have observed a possible violation, have been harmed by a violation, or are seeking clarification.
The Ombuds is available to informally discuss concerns, develop options, problem-solve, create paths for self-advocacy, and make informed choices about the best path forward. The Ombuds also assists the AFA in identifying issues that appear to be a source of problems to the AFA or its members.
Yes. Your communication with the Ombuds is considered privileged, confidential, and off-the-record. You may consult with the Ombuds without divulging your name or any identifiable information. The principle of confidentiality helps create a safe place to voice concerns, evaluate issues, and identify options in discussions with the Ombuds.
Consistent with the International Ombudsman Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, the only exceptions to the Ombuds confidentiality principle are i) when, during the course of communications with the Ombuds, permission to disclose has been given to the Ombuds, and the Ombuds determines it is appropriate and has agreed to do so, or ii) when the Ombuds determines that there is an imminent risk of serious harm.
Except as required by law, communications with the Ombuds are made with the understanding that the Ombuds will not provide documents, testify, attend, or participate in any formal or legal proceeding.
Anyone with a concern regarding AFA core activities or the academic finance profession, more broadly, may consult with the Ombuds.
The Ombuds may be contacted for assistance with concerns about AFA core activities, an AFA member’s home institution, or the full range of issues involving the academic finance profession, including but not limited to, concerns about ethical breaches and sexual harassment and discrimination.
As a confidential, informal resource, the Ombuds can help you identify resources and develop strategies and options to address your concerns. This may include, for example: providing a sounding board; helping to locate relevant policies and resources; and providing strategies for self-advocacy, difficult conversations, and managing conflict.
The Ombuds provides only informal assistance, and does not make or override decisions, determine policy, testify or participate in formal actions, provide legal advice, or accept legal notice for the AFA or any other institution, entity, or person. If you wish to file a formal grievance or to go on-record, the Ombuds can help you locate appropriate formal channels so you can make choices about which process is best for you to pursue.
Yes. As a confidential resource, the Ombuds also provides a means to discuss informal and formal options off-the-record. While the Ombuds is empowered to provide only informal assistance, you may consult with the Ombuds for help in identifying appropriate resources for filing a formal grievance.
No. The Ombuds does not provide legal or other kinds of advocacy or enforce the AFA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics.
No. The Ombuds maintains only anonymous, aggregate data. Informal notes may be temporarily created only as needed for case management. You are not required to provide your name or personally identifiable information to the Ombuds. If you choose to do so, no records containing identifiable information will preserved.
You may contact the Ombuds whenever you are most comfortable doing so, and you are encouraged to do so at the early stage of a concern. Consulting with the Ombuds early on often preserves more choices for you to address your concern.
The Ombuds is available for consultation in person at the annual AFA meeting and available all year at ombuds@afajof.org.
The Ombuds is independent, and not a member, of the AFA.
Starting January 1, 2020, the role will be filled by Ms. Francine Montemurro.