Dear UC Merced Colleagues:
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Deidre "De" Acker as the campus ombudsperson, effective July 16, 2012. The position — a new one at our campus — will report to the Office of the Chancellor regarding administrative and budgetary matters. The position will serve as a resource, which provides confidential, neutral, informal and independent dispute resolution and mediation services to the campus community.
De is a familiar face to many at UC Merced, as she has served as assistant dean for the School of Natural Sciences for the last five years. As the campus ombudsperson, she will actively engage students, faculty, staff and university constituents in dialog, negotiation and problem-solving to ensure that members of our campus community receive fair and equitable treatment.
With more than 20 years of experience as a manager in higher education, De brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to her new role. She has 15 years of experience as a trained mediator. Prior to her time at UC Merced, De spent 13 years at UC Santa Barbara as a unit director and was instrumental in creating a mediation program, which trained faculty and staff to serve as campus mediators. More recently as assistant dean, she has amassed first-hand experience as a mediator, trouble-shooter and problem solver and has earned a well-deserved reputation as a fair, collaborative and strong leader who possesses a keen understanding of UC Merced’s emerging culture.
As a result of De's appointment, the School of Natural Sciences is seeking a new assistant dean, and the position has been posted to the campus website.
Please join me in congratulating De on her new role.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Leland
Chancellor
