The University named three ombudspersons, or representatives, Tuesday to serve as a “listening ear” to concerns from the University community, said Steve Shi, director of the Equal Opportunity Office.

The ombudspersons are part of a series of steps taken to address the University’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy.

Shi said the creation of the program is just one of the ways the University is trying to address problems and that the progress will be continual.

“Hopefully it will be seen for what it is – a genuine effort by the University to give people more access to express their concerns or receive additional information.”

Last semester, The Red & Black published a series of articles that exposed five professors who were found in violation of the harassment policy.

Shay Davis Little, director of administrative operations in University Housing, will serve as the ombudsperson for students. Anne Proffitt Dupre, professor in the School of Law will assist faculty members.

Kathryn M. Chetney, senior employee relations counselor of the University’s Human Resources Office of Faculty and Staff Relations, will be staff members’ representative.

The ombudspersons will “help guide people through the process for resolving conflicts or reporting violations of UGA policy,” according to a University news release.

The three ombudspersons selected are already employees of the University.

“We gave serious consideration to creating new positions and the initial appointments are internal in part because of budget cuts,” Meg Amstutz, chief of staff in the University president’s office, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Amstutz said she is not concerned about the potential for the ombudspersons to seem biased due to their history of work at the University.

Shi said conversations with ombudspersons are confidential, and communication between the administration and ombudspersons would be limited.

“There will be no ‘back channel communication’ between the ombudspersons and the administration,” he said.

But, open record laws allow the public to access notes taken by the representatives, he said.

“It is an inherent issue but people are just going to have to understand that all of those things will be clarified with them before they start speaking,” Shi said.

“The University is between a rock and a hard place. It has to ensure that there are investigations even if the person making the complaint does not want to be identified. The University has to strike a balance and it has come down on the side of investigating.”

The three representatives were selected after they were identified as suitable candidates by their supervisors, including Provost Arnett Mace, Amstutz said.

The first two years will be an evaluation period, and part will examine if ombudspersons should be brought in from outside the University, but budget implications will play a role, she said.

As an ombudsperson, Little said she hopes she can serve as a positive resource for students.

“I hope that students would see me as another resource available. It’s my role to help facilitate a fair process for everyone.”

Efforts to reach Dupre and Chetney were unsuccessful Tuesday.