Mission & Charter

��������app Ombuds Office Charter

Introduction

The University Ombuds Office (the “Office”) was established to support University employees, including student workers, comprising the served community (“Served Community”) by providing confidential, informal, impartial, and independent assistance to those facing conflicts or concerns affecting their work at ��������app (“the University”). The Office is staffed by a professional Ombuds (the “University Ombuds”) who practices in accordance with the provisions of this Charter as well as the International Ombuds Association’s (��᰿��”) and incorporated by reference herein. The Office reports directly to the Office of the President through the Chief of Staff.

Mission

The mission of the Office is to help foster and support a respectful, ethical, and equitable working environment consistent with the University's mission and ideals. The Office assists the Served Community in resolving conflict or surfacing issues of concern needing attention by serving as a confidential, informal, neutral, and independent resource that promotes constructive problem-solving, effective communication, and increased organizational capacity for conflict management. The Office operates parallel to and is designed to supplement existing formal channels of communication (e.g., HR, Compliance, OEOIC, etc.).

The Office is established to assist members of the Served Community who seek out its services (“Visitors”) to better recognize, prevent, and/or manage work-related concerns or conflicts and by offering related education. Its work is informed by the values of excellence, dignity, respect, integrity, fairness, equity, respect for the law and University policy, including the possibility that policy which has become outdated or has unanticipated consequences may need to be re-considered and changed to better meet the needs of the Served Community.

Functions of the Office

Functions include, but are not limited to:

• Listening and helping Visitors to clarify underlying interests and to provide relevant information, resources and options for resolving conflict or surfacing issues of concern
• Facilitating conversations and/or mediating disputes between members of the Served Community to resolve issues, as appropriate and agreed upon by all involved parties
• Coaching and educating on conflict management through its website, promotional materials, public appearances, and in consultations with Visitors
• Providing periodic reporting on the Office’s activity, including annual recommendations for systemic and organizational change, using only anonymous, aggregated data from Visitor interactions. Formal records are not created, nor are personally identifiable documents Informal desk notes may be created only as far as they are necessary for case management and are disposed of at regular intervals.
• Providing upward feedback to the University’s administration, while protecting the anonymity of Visitors and the confidentiality of communications with them

Authority and Limitations of the Office

• Discretion to Act or Not to Do So

The Office has authority and discretion in how it handles and manages issues brought to the Office, including full discretion to discuss a range of options – both formal and informal – available to each Visitor. The Office may decline to inquire into a matter or may withdraw from a matter if it believes involvement is inappropriate for any reason, including that the matter was not brought in good faith, where the matter appears to be misuse of the Office, or where it falls outside of the scope of the Office’s scope of work. In such cases, the Office will provide notice to the Visitor and others involved in the matter, as appropriate.

• Access to Information and Legal Counsel

The Office may request information from appropriate University personnel to facilitate a particular situation and/or for analyzing information to make systemic recommendations for positive change. All such officials shall, subject to University policies and protocols, as well as state and federal law, share such information as may be appropriate with reasonable promptness. The Office will maintain the confidentiality of any information disclosed to it, unless the University official who provided the information specifically authorizes a disclosure.

Should the Office require legal or other professional advice to fulfill its required functions, the Office will be provided with access to legal counsel and, in the event a conflict of interest arises between the Office and the administration or the University, such legal counsel should be independent from those representing such interests as decided by the University Chief of Staff and General Counsel.

• Ombuds Office Not Authorized to Receive or Accept Notice for the University

The Office is not authorized to receive or accept Notice of any claims against the University including, but not limited to, allegations of a crime, research misconduct, sexual misconduct, discrimination, or harassment. Specifically, the Office is not a mandatory reporter under Title IX nor is it a Campus Security Authority under the Clery Act and the Violence Against Women Act, in part because the Office is not an agent of the University with authority to institute corrective measures on behalf of the University.

Additionally, the Ombuds is not, and shall not act as, anyone’s lawyer, representative, or counselor. Thus, a Visitor may wish to consult with a lawyer or other appropriate resources to obtain guidance on matters of concern including, but not limited to, whether any legal rights may be involved including when or how a Visitor may want to notify the University of a claim. Further, the use of the Office does not extend timelines or deadlines for filing a complaint or grievance, whether internal or external. The Office will consistently and regularly publicize and verbally inform Visitors that it is not authorized to receive or accept Notice on behalf of the University.

If a Visitor to the Office expresses a desire to put the University on Notice regarding a specific matter or allegation, the Office will provide the Visitor with the process and/or referral to the appropriate University offices or administrators, so that they may do so directly (e.g., Title IX Office, Human Resources, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Research Integrity, Department of Public Safety, etc.).

No Retaliation for Using the Office

All members of the Served Community have the right to voluntarily consult, engage in a facilitated conversation, or cooperate with the Office, without concern for actual or threatened retaliation. Any retaliation for exercising this right will not be tolerated and will be addressed through applicable University procedures.

Amendment/Revocation of Charter

This Charter shall remain in effect unless revoked. It may be amended only by the written agreement of the University Ombuds and the University, provided that any changes will not alter or affect the confidentiality of previous communications of Visitors with the University Ombuds Office.

Approved by the Ombuds Office and ��������app Chief of Staff, May 1, 2025.