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OMBUDS EVENTS

Highlighted Events on March 23 & April 7!

== Harnessing Tension & Uncertainty: Reframing Conflict as an Opportunity for Growth ==
VIRTUAL – March 23,  12:30-1:45 pm ET   Register via workshop.utk.edu

Normal reactions to issues causing tension & uncertainty can often lead to interpersonal conflict, increased stress and burnout, and delayed or reduced success. Join us for a 60-minute discussion on how we can reframe our approach to tension and uncertainty to foster constructive dialogue, individual growth, and team innovation. Topics include common assumptions in conflict, managing neurological threat responses, and growth mindset.

== CDP – Understanding your Conflict Dynamics  ==
VIRTUAL – Apr 7,  12:30-2pm ET   Register via workshop.utk.edu
Registration Deadline March 23

Have you felt uncomfortable in conflict? Wish you could manage conflict in a more constructive way? This 90-minute workshop is designed to enhance your personal ability to navigate conflict. You will complete a 20-minute self-assessment about one week before the event focused on your common behaviors in conflict situations. Then, during the session, you will learn strategies to increase helpful conflict behaviors and decrease unhelpful ones. You will also examine your specific “hot buttons” that tend to draw out destructive behaviors and how to “cool” them.
Note: This is a required core course for the Employee Conflict Navigator certificate program.

Please spread the word about these upcoming Ombuds’ virtual workshops!

Other March & April (& May) Ombuds Workshops
Register now to save a seat – click the links below.

• Mar 31, 12:30-1:30 ET  Virtual– Zoom
  Intro to Crucial Conversations and the Employee Conflict Navigators program
• Apr 1, 1-2:00pm ET Virtual
  Getting Unstuck: Intro to Ombuds Services
• Apr 20 – Registration Deadline for
  Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue intensive workshop.
  Held virtually, May 1-29 with ~2hrs asynch online pre-work for each of 4 Zoom meetings on May 8, 15, 22, & 29 from 10:30am -12pm. (12 hrs PD)
• Apr 22, 1-2:30pm ET  Virtual
  Creating a Dignity-Conscious Work Environment

Request now to schedule an Ombuds Event for April-July 2026

Knoxville UT Community: Request any of our available workshop topics or outreach options on your preferred date for your dept, unit, class, or group.

• Our 90-minute Workshops are limited to 30 persons in-person or virtual.
• Our Outreach sessions can be larger and can also be hybrid.
• Submit our Workshop or Outreach Session Request form, schedule an appointment to discuss your idea, or contact us at [email protected].
  • We take requests up to 4 semesters in advance and are available to present after 5pm M-F.
  • Our calendar fills up fast – request asap for April/May 2026.
  • Leaders: you can request a series of workshops to best meet your learners/team/group’s professional development needs.

Upcoming Events from Our Partners

The ombuds office partners with other service units who provide supports to graduate students, staff, and faculty in the areas of psychological and physical wellness, communication skills, managing tensions and uncertainty, growth mindset, and more.

• Innovative teaching & Learning Conference: Teaching and Learning with Joy: Purpose, Connection, and Possibility – March 26 8:30-5pm VIRTUAL
  Hosted by Teaching & Learning Innovation. Registration closes March 22.
• Meditation at the McClung Museum – 9-10am ET on Mar 29, April 16, & May 14. Presented by presented by Kenton Yeager and UT’s Mindfulness and Meditation Club.
• Vols ACT for Employees and Graduate Students 12-1pm, April 2 VIRTUAL
  Learn how to identify sexual harassment behaviors and red flags, understand the effects of harassment in academia, and apply Vols ACT strategies to real-world situations. Register by March 31, 2026 for the link to join.
• Grow a Culture of Consent April 14,  4:30-6:30pm ET at the Frieson Black Cultural Center – Rm 102/103. Learn about the concepts of consent through plant care at Grow a Culture of Consent, an interactive Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) tabling event. Please RSVP.
• UT Mentoring Initiative: Fostering Independence – April 15, 2026 at the International House room 100. Registration required for food counts.
  • Faculty & Staff registration – 10-11:30am ET
  • Grad Student & Postdoc registration – 12-1:30pm ET

OMBUDS OFFICE NEWS

Chat with Ombuds Staff at the Instructional Technology Symposium & at Vols Walk

Ombuds Staff will be manning an information table at the following upcoming events. Visit to learn more about us, ask questions, and grab some cool swag!

• March 24, 25, & 26 – Knoxville Downtown Convention Center
  UT Innovative Technology Symposium
  We will have PAUSE, Dignity, and Psych Safety reminder cards available.
• April 16, 12-2pm 21st Mortgage Plaza (& walkway outside the Student Center)
  Vols Walk for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
  Try our new game: roll the dice, describe the emotion, and win a Feelie sticker!

UT Employee Conflict Navigator News

Celebrate! Join us in congratulating our newest ECN certificate holder:
Brandi Price Weaver, Constituent Management Specialist II, Finance & Operations Payroll, completed in Feb 2026

Awardees independently complete and track 20 hours of synchronous professional development from Ombuds Services and other UT support offices.

We also welcomed Stephanie & Ashley as new Navigators in training in Jan & March, 2026. We’d love to welcome you too! Any full-time Knoxville UT employee can apply now to our ECN program– 10 slots currently available. Certificate activities include:

• Understanding Your Conflict Dynamics survey & workshop (90+ mins) and the
• Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue intensive workshop (12 hrs)
• Plus 2.5 hrs follow-up coaching activities and 4 hours of electives you choose.

Have questions? Attend the virtual session: Intro to Crucial Conversations and the Employee Conflict Navigators program on Mar 31, 12:30-1:30 ET or make an appointment to chat with Duren or Ame, on our Educational Programming team.

Learn More about Ombuds & Ombuds Services

To learn more about how Ombuds Services can empower you to constructively navigate ANY challenge you might be facing at UT – via individual consultations, team coaching, and/or our educational programming – take action!

• Visit our website: https://ombuds.utk.edu
• View our short overview video: https://youtu.be/csmnunlFNRk
• Attend a monthly Ombuds overview Zoom session – next one is:
  Getting Unstuck: Intro to Office of Ombuds Services
  VIRTUAL – April 1,  1-2pm ET  
  Register via workshop.utk.edu to receive the Zoom link.