As we count down to the 2025 Spring semester end and all its challenges, know that you may always schedule a meeting with ombuds staff – no problem is too big or too small!
*Photo snippet via https://utgardens.tennessee.edu/locations/knoxville/
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Congrats to UT’s newest Employee Conflict Navigator (ECN) from March 2025!
- Cearra Sears, Career Coach for Career Development under Human Resources
Cearra has completed the 20-hours of professional development certificate program in interpersonal communication and conflict over the past 10 months (and just had a baby!).
The Ombuds ECN certificate is a guided independent PD process for UT Knoxville full-time staff & faculty. Click here to learn more about the ECN program.
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Below are upcoming April/May 2025 virtual professional development events.
SIGN UP NOW to reserve a seat and, please, pass this info along to your colleagues, students, and/or supervisors.
Highlighted Upcoming Events in April/May!
Fostering a Robust Research Environment through Dynamic Mentoring Relationships
VIRTUAL – April 15, 9:30-11am ET Register via ORIED
Human-centered high-quality research environments are a team effort resulting in lower stress, fewer errors, better collaboration, and increased innovation. Join us to explore concepts, strategies, and resources for building more psychologically safe research environments through PI, team leader, and peer mentoring. National research practice recommendations note that open communication including many different perspectives builds interpersonal understanding and trust that is key to practicing better science. Designed for all research staff, mentors, & mentees, this NEW workshop on nationally recommended research mentoring practices is facilitated by staff from Ombuds Services, ORIED, and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue Intensive Workshop Registration Deadline April 18 – Register online here.
VIRTUAL – May 2- May 30, 2025, with Zoom sessions on May 9, 16, 23, & 30 from 10:30am-12:00pm
A Crucial Conversation is a discussion between two or more people where the stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong. This intensive training builds multiple skills for constructively engaging in conflict —rather than stepping over or around it— turning disagreement into dialogue. Scheduled in four 90-min Zoom sessions with 1-2 hours online independent work before each session (12 hours total). Initial pre-work sent May 2. Materials fee: $318/person (paid via internal transfer after May 9, you will need the account number to charge to complete registration).
April/May Ombuds Open Enrollment Events– all times in Eastern!
open to all UT Knoxville graduate students & all UT System staff & faculty
REMINDER: UT Knoxville affiliated Units or groups can request ANY Ombuds workshops or session to be provided specifically to unit or group, at your preferred time & location.
| Date | Time – EASTERN | Workshop Title & Registration/Info Link – click link for description | Location |
| >>> | April 6-10 Ombuds ofc staff at the 2025 IOA Conference | <<< | |
| 15 Apr | 9:30-11:00am | Fostering a Robust Research Environment through Dynamic Mentoring Relationships | Virtual-Zoom |
| 18 Apr | Reg. Deadline | Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue (CCMD) Intensive Workshop | |
| 24 Apr | 12:30pm-2pm | Creating a Dignity-Conscious Work Environment (Part 2 of the Dignity Series – prerequisite: completion of Part 1 or an assigned pre-reading) |
Virtual-Zoom |
| 29 Apr | 11-11:45 am | NEW – Intro to Crucial Conversations for Accountability (CCA) Add-on workshop & the Employee Conflict Navigators Certificate program |
Virtual-Zoom |
| 29 Apr | 1:30pm-3pm | Creating a More Psychologically Safe Working Environment (Part 2 of the Psych Safety Series – prerequisite: completion of Part 1 or an assigned pre-reading) |
Virtual-Zoom |
| 1 May | 12-12:45 pm | Getting Unstuck: Intro to Ombuds Services | Virtual-Zoom |
| May 2-30 |
10:30am-12:00 pm on May 9, 16, 23, & 30 |
Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue (CCMD) Intensive Workshop | Virtual- Asynch & Zoom |
| 29 May | 1-1:45 pm | NEW – Intro to Crucial Conversations for Accountability (CCA) Add-on workshop & the Employee Conflict Navigators Certificate program |
Virtual-Zoom |
| 5 June | 12:30-1:15 pm | Getting Unstuck: Intro to Ombuds Services | Virtual – Zoom |
Coming from the Ombuds in June & July!
- NEW – Supervision Mindset Shifts that Empower Your Team (tentative title for pilot offering)
Join us for a discussion of the neuroscience behind empowering your teams through trust and inspiration. Concepts covered will include: mindset change from managing to empowerment/coaching; strategies for holding empowering conversations; & avoiding common pitfalls during the mindset change process. If you are interested in this pilot session, please contact ombudsed@utk.edu with your availability details for the week of June 15-20. - NEW – Crucial Conversations for Accountability Add-on Intensive Workshop
This workshop will take place over July 8-31 (three 1-hour zoom dates & times TBD). For UT Employees holding a CCMD certificate (from Ombuds or other). This 8-hour virtual workshop builds on CCMD concepts, taking a deeper dive into accountability conversation skills for closing the gap between expectations and performance. Not just for supervisors, this experience provides employees the skills to respectfully speak up when they see something, improving team performance. Video explanation & example.
Online materials fee: $232.
Questions? Contact ombudsed@utk.edu.
Office of Ombuds Services – Education & Outreach