Division of Academic Affairs and Provost Resources: Ombuds Internal Resources

The purpose of the Ombuds Office is to ensure that every voice at East Texas A&M University can be heard without fear of loss of privacy, retribution or retaliation and that problems can receive impartial attention.

The Faculty Ombuds Office was established to provide faculty with a prompt and professional way to resolve conflicts, disputes or complaints beyond turning to their supervisors or filing a formal grievance. The primary roles are to assist faculty with any work-related difficulty, including interpersonal conflict or misunderstandings, as well as academic or administrative concerns. The office maintains strict confidentiality and provides a safe place for faculty to have off-the-record conversations on issues related to work.

To afford visitors the greatest freedom in using its services, the office actively promotes and supports a fair, respectful and safe workplace by providing university employees with a confidential, informal, neutral and impartial means of preventing or resolving workplace concerns, problems or disputes. The Ombuds helps individuals identify options for fair and impartial outcomes and fosters civility and mutual respect. The Office supplements, but does not replace, any existing grievance mechanisms or modes of redress.

Mission

Primary Role

  1. Help faculty members explore issues, concerns and conflicts; provide information and referrals; help resolve matters at the earliest and most informal level.
  2. Bring systemic concerns to the University for review and resolution.

The Faculty Ombuds

  • Explores ways to resolve problems
  • Provides issue and conflict coaching
  • Provides referral to other University resources
  • Provides systematic concerns to the University in a confidential manner

The Faculty Ombuds Office is committed to four principles

Confidentiality: The Ombuds holds information in strict confidence and does not disclose communication unless given permission by the faculty member.

Neutrality: The Ombuds remains unaligned and impartial and does not engage in any situation that could create conflict of interest.

Informality: As an informal recourse, the Ombuds does not participate in any formal process but is able to provide both formal and informal options to visitors. Visiting the Ombuds Office neither begins any formal process nor is it an office of notice for claims against the university.

Independence: The Ombuds is independent in structure, function and appearance, and does not report on cases to any administrator of the University except as aggregate data that protects the identity of any individual, group or department.

The Ombuds does not

  • Provide legal advice
  • Provide counseling
  • Provide direct mediation service
  • Make or change University decisions, rules or policies

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can use the Office of the Faculty Ombuds?
The faculty Ombuds is available to all members of the University with faculty and post-doctoral appointments. The term “faculty member” includes all tenured, tenure-track and non-tenured track faculty (including visiting faculty).

What kinds of concerns are commonly brought to the faculty Ombuds?

  • Clarification of a policy or process
  • Perceived inequities in work or pay
  • Perceived unethical or inappropriate behavior
  • Interpersonal conflicts and problems in workplace settings
  • Concerns about career advancement and job satisfaction or security
  • Advice on having a difficult conversation
  • Problems of institutional non-responsiveness and red tape
  • Concerns about procedural fairness or due process
  • Requests for facilitated conversations

Is this office really confidential?
The faculty Ombuds will keep your visit confidential unless you give permission to reveal specific issues with specific persons for the purpose of resolving the conflict. Any notes taken are seen only by the Ombuds and will be destroyed when the issue is resolved or if the file is inactive for 30 days. The only exception to the promise of confidentiality is when the Ombuds has a reasonable concern about possible violence or physical harm or when required by law.

I may want to file a formal complaint. Can I talk to the faculty Ombuds first?
Yes. The Ombuds can help you better understand processes and potential outcomes before you decide whether to file a complaint. The Ombuds can also help identify alternatives to formal grievance procedures and direct you to the appropriate procedures and office, should you wish to file a formal complaint.

When should I contact the Office of the University Faculty Ombuds?
The scope of the faculty Ombuds' concern extends to all aspects of University life, both academic and nonacademic, which affect faculty and post-docs.
You might want to contact the Ombuds when you:

  • Need an impartial and confidential sounding board
  • Believe you have been treated unfairly
  • Have been unsuccessful in resolving a problem
  • Want to report a problem, but you want to get a sense of possible outcomes first
  • Are not sure how to interpret a University policy or procedure
  • Are not sure which University policy applies to your situation
  • Believe a University policy or practice is unfair or confusing
  • Need help facilitating communication
  • Have a question or a complaint about an office, service or decision at the University
  • Are not sure where else to turn for help

If I contact the faculty Ombuds about a concern, is that putting the University on notice?
No. Consistent with the confidentiality, neutrality and informality of the office, communications with the Office of the University Faculty Ombuds do not put the University on notice. If you wish to report a problem or concern, the Ombuds can direct you to the appropriate person or office.

Contact

Hours: By Appointment
Phone: 903.886.5997
Email: [email protected]

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