What Staff Will and Will Not Do

What Ombuds Office Staff Do:

Listen and ask questions to fully understand the concern
Provide information and options
Offer coaching to clarify values, consider consequences of different options and discover new ways of approaching problems
When asked, intervene as a neutral third party through
- Facilitating conversations
- Conducting “shuttle diplomacy” by discussing the situation with concerned parties separately
- Take an issue forward through the chain-of-command to a higher authority such as the chair, department director or vice president

Advocate for any party (The Ombuds Office is not a substitute for a counselor or lawyer)
Make administrative or policy decisions
Testify about confidential communications in judicial or administrative proceedings or serve as a witness in a formal hearing
Participate in any formal disciplinary process
Serve as a place to give the institution notice of claims against it

Employees who use the Ombuds Office will be considered to have agreed to abide by these features of the office.