We provide confidential one-on-one consultation to help visitors clarify complex matters, effectively navigate challenging situations, and make informed decisions.

The ombuds provide consultations to graduate students, staff, faculty, and campus leaders to help them engage in empowered decision making as their best selves. These sessions can include coaching and conversation role-playing. Visitors can meet with the ombuds virtually or in person. Typically, the first meeting is scheduled for 1-hour. Subsequent meetings can be scheduled for 45-minutes or 1-hour. The ombuds work with you to engage in problem-solving about barriers, discomfort, disputes, or conflicts that stand in the way of reaching your full potential. With the ombuds, visitors explore multiple paths to address their situation and identify the best way to move forward. This best way, includes the choice to take no action, but the ombuds will help visitors explore options to make an empowered decision.

What you can expect

The ombuds will:

• Act with honesty and integrity
• Promote fairness and support fair process
• Remain non-judgmental, with empathy and respect for individual differences
• Promote dignity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Communicate accurate understanding through active listening
• Promote collaborative problem-solving and self-determination that can lead to empowered decision-making
• Be an accessible, trusted, and respected informal resource

The ombuds can:

• Clarify policies & procedures
• Provide guidance
• Explain options
• Provide feedback
• Make referrals to resources

What you may gain

• Clearly defined goals
• Be prepared for difficult conversations
• Strategies to address challenging situations
• Conflict management skills
• Better understanding of complex situations
• Better understanding of policies and procedures