The ombudspersons’ trio is complete
The University Assembly was able to nominate two new ombudspersons for the first time: Margrit Leuthold and Peter Frischknecht, who were subsequently elected by the Executive Board. The widely supported process will strengthen the office, says Werner Wegscheider, University Assembly President and Professor of Experimental Physics.
Mr Wegscheider, the new ombudspersons Margrit Leuthold and Peter Frischknecht were, for the first time, nominated by the University Assembly. As the University Assembly President, are you satisfied with the result?
Werner Wegscheider: Yes, very much. I am pleased that the Executive Board welcomed and voted for the candidates nominated by the University Assembly. I am also delighted by how we made the nomination. Using a detailed profile definition and working together with the Executive Board, we quickly established an independent process that has proved to be consistent and effective.
What are the features of this new process?
Transparency and taking into consideration the interests of all parties involved are of central importance. All walks of life were represented in our selection committee, as well as both genders. Interviews with candidates were conducted in two stages, after which the plenary assembly nominated the candidates they considered to be most suitable and recommended them to the University Assembly for election. It was important to the University Assembly that at least one woman and at least one person from the technical or administrative areas were nominated, and we achieved this.
What does this mean for members of ETH who apply for the ombudsperson position?
Previously, the Executive Board elected ombudspersons. Asking the University Assembly to make the nomination means gives the office a much broader foundation. This was a wise step to take, and one we’re grateful for, as the University Assembly represents everyone at ETH, from Bachelor’s students to technicians and professors. I think that this strengthens the Ombudspersons’ Office as it provides independent advice and support to ETH members in the event of problems or conflicts.
Is the new selection process and the increase from two to three ombudspersons also linked with the reports of leadership problems that ETH was once again recently faced with?
Not just that. The sensitivity regarding leadership has certainly increased and the number of inquiries is likely to rise accordingly. However, because of ETH’s continuing growth and the broad spectrum of cases and topics, it made sense to increase the capacity of the Ombudspersons’ Office anyway. Gerhard Tröster, a professor, Peter Frischknecht, a former department coordinator with teaching experience, and Margrit Leuthold, who knows the administrative area very well, together make up the ideal team.
As University Assembly President, what makes the ideal ombudsperson, in your view?
For the University Assembly, the focus lies on the individual’s suitability. A good ombudsperson needs to be empathetic and be able to lead demanding talks so the ETH members can place their trust in them. They must also have a thorough knowledge of the law and know the internal processes of ETH inside out. Furthermore, an unconditional commitment to confidentiality is essential, as well as independence of judgement and approach. The interests of those seeking advice are of course central, but the ombudsperson should also have the interests of ETH in mind. The ombudsperson must put aside their own concerns. The individuals selected fully meet these requirements, as does the current ombudsperson, Gerhard Tröster.
The new ombudspersons
Margrit Leuthold is in charge of the strategic positioning of medical research at ETH Zurich, under the ETH Vice President Research and Cooperate Relations.
Peter Frischknecht is a long-serving department and study programme coordinator at D-USYS and retired in June 2017.
The ETH Zurich Ombudspersons’ Office
The Ombudspersons’ Office, founded in 1998, is the central point of contact for all members of ETH Zurich in the event of conflict, and serves an advisory function independent of the ETH administration. In addition to the newly elected individuals, Gerhard Tröster has been an ombudsperson since 1 April 2018. He is ETH Professor of Electronics and received emeritus status at the end of July 2018.