Reappointment of Professor Emeritus Ellen Hodnett as University Ombudsperson and Report of the Committee to Review the Office of the University Ombudsperson (2017-18) (PDAD&C #96)

I am pleased to advise you that at its meeting on May 17, 2018, the Governing Council approved the reappointment of Professor Emeritus Ellen Hodnett as University Ombudsperson for a one-year term effective July 1, 2018 until June 30, 2019. In addition, the Governing Council approved in principle the Report of the Committee to Review the Office of the University Ombudsperson (2017-18).

Review of the Office of the University Ombudsperson

At its meeting on October 12, 2017, the Executive Committee established a Committee to Review the Office of the University Ombudsperson. The 2017-18 Review of the Office of the University Ombudsperson involved a comprehensive consultation process which informed its recommendations as well as the recruitment process.

The Review Committee found that the Office has continued to be a responsive and effective resource for the impartial resolutions of complaints and an invaluable source of highly credible advice on the improvement of the University’s policies, processes, and outcomes.

The Committee recommends that the Office of the University Ombudsperson be structured in such a way so as to ensure a presence and provide comprehensive services across all three campuses. In addition, it recommended that the University Ombudsperson continue to work with the Office of the Vice-President, Communications, in the development of strategies to help raise the awareness of the existence, mandate, and services of the Office of the University Ombudsperson to the University Community.

Appointment of the University Ombudsperson

The Report also includes a section of the profile of the position of the University Ombudsperson which detailed the desirable qualities, competencies, and experience for the role of University Ombudsperson. The candidate profile was broadly outlined as follows: The ideal candidate to serve as the next Ombudsperson could be retired faculty or retired senior staff member with extensive experience and understanding of the structures at the University of Toronto. After a targeted search process, the Committee determined that at this juncture the most prudent course of action was to recommend the reappointment of Professor Emeritus Hodnett for a one-year term.

Professor Emeritus Ellen Hodnett was first appointed by the Governing Council as University Ombudsperson for a three-year term from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018. She continues to be highly respected in the University community and is principled, fair, and enormously committed to the values of the University – all attributes that are essential in a role such as that of Ombudsperson.

Professor Emeritus Ellen Hodnett

Professor Emeritus Hodnett holds a B.S.N. (1969) from Georgetown University, a M.Sc.N. (1980) from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. (1983) from the University of Toronto, Institute of Medical Science

Professor Emeritus Hodnett began her career with the University of Toronto in 1975 as a lecturer. She has taught at all levels of Nursing’s undergraduate and graduate programs, in large lecture courses, small seminars, in hospital units, and as a PhD supervisor. In the early 1990s, she was a member of the committee that developed Nursing’s PhD program, and since the creation of that program Professor Emeritus Hodnett supervised or was a committee member for 25 PhD students. In 1996, she was appointed to the first endowed chair in nursing research in Canada, the Heather M. Reisman Chair in Perinatal Nursing Research, a position she held for 15 years.

Her lengthy career with the University of Toronto includes substantial scholarly, administrative, and governance contributions, including service as Interim Dean of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, as Coordinator of Nursing’s PhD program, and as a member of the Governing Council for nine years, including three years as the Chair of the Academic Board. She was also a member of the Implementation Committee of the Task Force on Governance, as well as a member of the Executive Committee, Planning and Budget, Honorary Degrees Committee, Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council Appointments Committee, and Academic Appeals Committee. She also served as a member of Special Joint Advisory Committee (SJAC), the group charged with making recommendations about changes to the Memorandum of Agreement between the University of Toronto Faculty Association and the Governing Council. Professor Emeritus Hodnett retired in 2014. In 2015, she was first appointed Ombudsperson in the University of Toronto.

Professor Emeritus Hodnett’s scholarly research focused on rigorous evaluations of forms of care for childbearing women. It has also examined how the physical setting for labour affects the behaviour of women and their care providers, as well as birth outcomes. She has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has given 100 invited addresses. Currently she is a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for a multi-centre trial in Germany, which is based on her most recent study.

Professor Emeritus Hodnett has served as an Editor for the Pregnancy and Childbirth Group of the Cochrane Collaboration, and as a member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group of the World Health Organization Maternal and Reproductive Health Research Program. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.