Shannon Lynn Burton, PhD became the University Ombudsperson at Michigan State University
in July 2018 after serving previously as both the Assistant University Ombudsperson
and later Associate University Ombudsperson. During her 25+ year tenure in education,
she has cultivated a culture of academic and research integrity, guided students on
goal setting and educational choices and ensured institutional compliance with federal
regulations. After 11+ years as an ombuds, she seeks to make the office a touchpoint
for building trust within organizations by creating a space where individuals, in
particular students, can freely discuss their concerns in an environment that adheres
to the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) Standards of Practice: confidentiality,
informality, neutrality, and independence. Ultimately, her goal is to develop human
capital in managing conflict and improve communication skills in line with the role
and purpose of the ombuds office, as well as in line with the organization's mission.
Since beginning her tenure as University Ombudsperson, Shannon has been appointed
to several committees examining structures of safety and support including the Relationship
Violence and Sexual Misconduct Expert Advisory Workgroup, the Positive Workplace Alliance,
the Workplace Bullying and Harassment Ad Hoc Task Force, the Virtual Harassment Think
Tank and the Police and Public Safety Committee. In addition to her work as an ombuds,
she has served as Research Integrity Coordinator and co-directed an academic integrity
consortium, as well as facilitated faculty learning communities on academic integrity
and served in multiple workgroups addressing the history and status of integrity within
the institution.
Shannon serves the broader professional community through her work as one of the International
Ombuds Association's (IOA) inaugural co-chairs for the Research and Assessment Committee
and as Editor for the Journal of the IOA (JIOA). She was also asked in 2022 to serve as the Response Working Group Representative
for IOA to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Action Collaborative
on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. Previously, she served on the
IOA Title IX Task Force and the Contract Conference Ombuds Task Force. Additionally,
Shannon is an active member of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Ombuds Committee,
as well as the Michigan Caucus of Educational Ombuds. She regularly presents, researches,
and consults on organization and administration in higher education, student development
and learning theory, and the history and evolution of ombuds practices, as well as
coaches and mentors new organizational ombuds. Most recently she wrote “Assessing
the Establishment of Ombuds Offices in Professional Academic Research Associations”
published in the JIOA (2021) and is currently co-editing The Organizational Ombuds: Foundations, Fundamentals & its Future, a handbook for the organizational ombuds profession to be published by the IOA in
2024. Finally, she created the ombuds program for the American Educational Research
Association (AERA) in 2019 where she continues to serve as one of its two inaugural
Co-Ombuds and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Management at Aquinas College
since 2020 where she teaches courses on conflict resolution, group dynamics and ethics.
Shannon earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education with
a Specialization in Global Urban Studies from Michigan State University. She also
has a Master of Science in Academic Advising (Kansas State University), a Master of
Arts in Student Affairs Administration (Michigan State University), as well as a Bachelor
of Arts in Russian Studies, a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, and a Bachelor of
Arts in Spanish (Grand Valley State University). In 2018, she also completed a graduate
certificate in Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Engagement (Kansas State University).
Shannon also is trained in social justice mediation, restorative practices, compassionate
communication, collaborative discussion, and trauma-informed practices.
