The original Student Advocates Office rested on the shoulders of the Ombudsman model which once had been at Indiana University for several years. Ombudsman by definition are charged to listen to individuals with complaints, investigate further, and to help find resolve. In 1981, the Dean of Students and student government leaders looked at the past to create a new present and ultimately helped design the future we hold today.
In 1981, Dean of Students Michael Gordon collaborated with the student government leaders in the Indiana University Student Association (IUSA) who had created a two and half page proposal, addressed to the IU Office of the Vice President. This team of three undergraduate IUSA student leaders included Mark Kruzan, who, in later years, became the City of Bloomington’s mayor. Their student proposal was explained at the time in an IDS article that students often felt a “bureaucratic runaround” due to the large size of our campus, and hoped that an office such as the Student Advocates Office might provide "individualized guidance and problem solving” in ways that might help minimize these challenges. In addition, the design they proposed could help answer questions, save time, and “keep students from wanting to transfer to smaller schools and help support grievance processes.” Its main goal was to remain an “impartial, centralized entity" as the campus lacked centralization. Its mission as a result became "the retention of IU students.” It is stunning how keen and prescient this proposal remains to this day.
One of the most unique aspects in the original request was within the staff design. Advocates were to be recruited as volunteers, more specifically, retired faculty volunteers. It was noted in the proposal that retired faculty held an innate passion for students but most important they “possess a wealth of knowledge concerning inner campus activities.” In addition, faculty had the foundation of expertise needed to navigate the campus for any student experiencing problems, and a deep understanding of existing resources that may be of help. The original, retired advocate faculty were men and women who represented the departments of IU Sociology, Education, Music, Center on Aging, English, and Journalism. Now, almost four decades later, the long history of advocates serving have created their own legacy of leadership. Advocates are generations of faculty and professional staff, all representing a multitude of disciplines and departments.
The Student Advocates Office initially opened their doors on August 30, 1982 with an official Open House in February 1983. They were located at that time in room 110 of the Student Building, and their volunteer staff was comprised of five volunteer advocates and five alternates, who served as substitutes when needed. In March 1985, the Student Advocates Office had been growing exponentially, so funds were requested, created, and secured for the first paid, part-time position to serve this office. The Assistant to the Dean of Students supervised and coordinated the advocates and created their resource library, as well as helped track their cases. As the years progressed and student cases increased, Beverly Warren was hired by the university to be its first full-time, paid Director. Beverly’s long legacy as director helped to secure the student advocate model as being integral to supporting students and enabling them to graduate at Indiana University. As the decades passed, our campus enrollment grew, as did the numbers of student cases and challenges. Sally Jones eventually replaced Beverly Warren as full-time Director and went on to robustly build the office and advocate corps for the next seventeen years.
The Student Advocates Office now employs one full time Director and three full time professional staff that includes one Associate Director, one Assistant Director, and a Client Services Assistant, plus an additional team of undergraduate and graduate student staff. The office is still charged to "assist students in resolving academic, financial and conduct obstacles" with a goal of helping maintain progress toward earning their degree. Their current student case load requires a minimum base of 24 extensively trained volunteer advocates, all of whom are still retired faculty but for many years also now includes retired IU professional staff. Volunteers are regularly recruited and trained each and every year. This Office of Student Life office works weekly in collaboration with almost thirty integral campus departments and programs, fourteen academic departments, and additionally is a member of the Vice Provost of Student Affairs/Dean of Students weekly Care Team.
The IU Vice Provost for Student Life/Dean of Students, on behalf of the Office of Student Life, is grateful that the inaugural first year of Student Advocates Office leadership was initiated by students, all of whom took the time to address an urgent campus need, and ultimately provided a creative, long-standing solution.
