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Effective June 1, 2021, President Keith E. Whitfield, in consultation with the Faculty Senate, re-established the Ombuds Office at 51�Թ������ܿƴ�.

“The Ombuds Office performs an essential function in a Top Tier university by listening to the campus community, giving its members an alternate avenue for conflict resolution, and providing information that can help us build a more equitable 51�Թ������ܿƴ�.”

President Whitfield

What We Do

The Ombuds Office is a place for informal interpersonal and institutional conflict resolution. In other words, if you aren't happy or are uncertain about something at 51�Թ������ܿƴ�, you can come talk with us.

To complement existing conflict resolution and reporting channels, the Ombuds Office offers four main functions:

• Listen

  If you are experiencing issues, you can speak with us. All conversations with the Ombuds are confidential.

• Educate

  We discuss your rights and responsibilities, options for redress, and how to better resolve conflicts. We also conduct workshops on a variety of communication and conflict resolution topics.

• Mediate

  We provide a place for neutral, informal, and confidential mediation services and facilitate group discussions.

• Advocate for Change

  We take part in campus assessment efforts and share information about systemic areas of concern to campus leadership.

Who Can Use the Ombuds Office?

Everyone in the 51�Թ������ܿƴ� community, including undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, post docs, residents, fellows, classified staff, administrative faculty, academic faculty, temporary employees, managers, and leaders are served by the Ombuds Office.

What Does "Confidential" Really Mean?

Any communication with the Ombuds is considered confidential to the extent permitted by law. No one will disclose, without your express permission, that you contacted the office or the content of your communication.

There are limited exceptions, such as when the Ombuds has reason to believe there is an imminent risk of serious harm, unreported child or elder abuse or neglect, and instances where the Ombuds is compelled by court order to disclose information.

Outside of those narrow exceptions, the Ombuds and all those working with the Ombuds Office in any capacity will keep confidential all communications to the extent permitted by law.

Learn More about the Ombuds Office

To learn more about the role of the Ombuds at 51�Թ������ܿƴ�, see the "What is an Ombuds" page.

If you want to speak with the Ombuds about a concern or issue, you can start the process by filling out , visiting the contact page, or scheduling an appointment using our .

Of you are interested in an Ombuds workshop, please look at the more than two dozen workshop options on the workshops page.

If you are looking for more information about the governing documents that inform processes at 51�Թ������ܿƴ� and our own quarterly and annual reports, you can find a list on the resources page.

The Ombuds Office operates in accordance with the and of the , a member-led professional association that supports the work of organizational ombuds and offers training, development, and networking resources.