Features

There are four essential features of the Ombuds Office 
 

• Confidential. All contacts, conversations, and information exchanged with an ombuds are confidential and will not be disclosed without the consent of the parties involved and the ombuds. Confidentiality is the privilege of the ombuds and cannot be waived by any party. There are limits to confidentiality, such as when disclosure is necessary to protect someone from harm and when otherwise required by law. 
  
  Please Note: electronic mail is not considered a secure method of confidential communication, and confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
   
• Informal. Consultations are conducted "off the record" and do not constitute notice to the university. Persons wanting to establish "notice" to the university should contact an administrator or administrative office, or he/she should initiate a formal proceeding. An ombuds will provide information on who to contact and how to use administrative or grievance procedures for persons wanting to establish a formal record or who want formal consideration of their complaint. Individuals using the services of the Ombuds Office retain their rights to all formal procedures ordinarily available to them.
  
  When working with an ombuds, no personal information is retained or used for subsequent formal proceedings. An ombuds will not serve as a witness nor offer testimony in any formal proceeding, unless required by law.
  
  
• Impartial. An ombuds does not take sides on an issue nor represents or advocates on behalf of any party. Rather, it is the role of the ombuds to consider the facts, rights, interests, and safety of all parties involved in a search for a fair resolution to a problem. An ombuds advocates for fairness and justice.
  
  
• Independent. An ombuds is independent of all university structures. To ensure objectivity, an ombuds is empowered to conduct fact-finding, has reasonable access to records relevant to a complaint, and can negotiate resolutions to a problem.