The university Ombudsperson and other staff from the Office of Ombuds Services serve faculty, staff, and graduate students. The ombuds serves as a no-barrier first stop when faculty are seeking information and insight from a trusted consultant who is neutral, confidential, and informal. The ombuds advocates for neither the faculty nor the university, but rather supports fair practices and mutual respect, fostering probity and timeliness in the administration of campus policies and practices.
It is expected that the ombuds will be experienced in both alternative dispute resolution and university faculty affairs (including tenure, promotion, evaluation, dispute resolution, and governance), and is responsible for facilitating informal conflict resolution at the request of faculty, staff, and graduate students. As a consultant, the ombuds acts as a resource for information on university policies, faculty rights and responsibilities, appeal procedures and other due process. The ombuds helps faculty members decide how best to solve problems early and generally at the lowest levels. If the faculty member has initiated an appeal through the administrative or faculty senate channels under section 5.2 or 5.3, the faculty member may continue to consult the ombuds for an impartial opinion and advice, but the ombuds is not permitted to participate actively in those appeals. Except as required by law, consultations with the ombuds will not be communicated to a third party unless the faculty member gives their permission or the ombuds concludes that there is imminent risk of harm to the faculty member or others.
The ombuds is not permitted to provide legal advice; assist in problems that are unrelated to the university; or represent the faculty member in administrative appeals or Faculty Senate Appeals Committee hearings or appeals. The ombuds’ role as a consultant or informal mediator is separate from the administrative appeals and faculty senate appeals processes. The ombuds does not make binding decisions for the university or overrule administrative decisions. Rather, the ombuds makes recommendations based upon their understanding of the situation, university policies and procedures, experience, and sense of fairness.
The faculty senate shall provide ongoing advice and assistance to the university Ombudsperson on the rules and policies applicable to university faculty. The university Ombudsperson will issue a report to the faculty senate once each year on (a) the number of faculty members served, (b) the types of matters handled, (c) any recommended change to university or faculty rules or policies and the basis for the recommended change, and (d) any other matters that the university Ombudsperson or the faculty senate shall deem necessary or advisable in connection with their respective roles in faculty support and governance. The annual report of the Office of Ombuds Services will not disclose any information that the ombuds is required to keep confidential in accordance with this section or ombuds best practices.
The Office of Ombuds Services staff are appointed under the university’s human resources policies and procedures. The university Ombudsperson will be appointed after a search process led by the chancellor or a designee, and the search committee will include representation from the faculty senate. All other ombuds staff will be appointed after a search led by the university Ombudsperson, and when feasible, the search committee will include at least one member of the faculty senate.