What We Do
What We Do
Higher education campuses can be complicated environments, attracting as they do individuals with varying needs and goals. Along with the successes that can stem from these rich and diverse environments, so too can misunderstandings and seemingly intractable differences.
This is where the Faculty Ombuds may prove useful. Think of the office as sounding board, problem-solver, conversation facilitator, and conflict resolver all rolled into one. The Ombuds is trained to utilize a variety of tools that include active listening, strategic questioning, exploration of options and, when appropriate, interlocution. By offering its toolkit to each member of Faculty, the Ombuds works toward the dual objectives of managing individual concerns while promoting overall harmonious co-existence across the campus.
Here are some of the ways that Faculty Ombuds may address your issues and concerns
Individual Consultations
- Creating meeting opportunities for all faculty, regardless of status
- Listening without judgment
- Questioning toward clarification of objectives
- Developing options or communication strategies
- Providing referrals or policy information
- Exploring intervention approaches, including shuttle diplomacy and mediation
- Coaching in conflict navigation and transformation
Learning & Engagement
- Facilitating department/group dialogue
- Hosting restorative sessions
- Developing and delivering trainings in effective communication, de-escalation, coexistence
Fostering Campus Cohesion
- Modeling equity, inclusiveness and integrity in all campus engagement
- Identifying trends and patterns of complaint
- Avoiding reputational damage to the institution by acting as early warning system
- Providing recommendations to leadership, based upon anonymized observations
- Working with campus partners to address observed and anonymized trends
- Developing and publishing annual report of aggregated and anonymized data
