The Ombuds Office at the University of Colorado at Boulder
provides informal, impartial, and confidential dispute resolution services
for students, staff, and faculty. We assist people with interpersonal misunderstandings
or disputes as well as those with concerns about academic or administrative
issues. We attempt to help individuals resolve their concerns fairly and,
if possible, informally. The Ombuds
Office operates independently as a supplement to existing administrative
or formal grievance procedures and has no formal decision-making authority.
We do not act as advocates for either side in a dispute. Perhaps most importantly,
we operate confidentially, which means
we do not acknowledge who has--or has not--used the Ombuds Office without
the permission of the individual. (In some cases, even if we have permission,
we do not acknowledge this information.) We report administratively to
the Provost.
The Ombuds Office deals with a wide range of conflicts
and disputes every year.
We offer assistance with:
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Policies and procedures (campus, college/school, or departmental)
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Decisions or actions affecting groups or individuals
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Grading issues
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Interpersonal disputes
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Employment-related disputes
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Unfair treatment
What the Ombuds Office Does
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Listens and discusses questions, issues, and concerns
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Helps evaluate various options to address concerns
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Answers questions or helps find others who can
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Explains university policies and procedures
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Facilitates communication between people
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Advises individuals about steps to resolve problems informally
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Advises individuals about formal and administrative
options
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Mediates disputes to seek "win-win" resolution of problems
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Makes appropriate referrals when informal options don't work
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Points out patterns of problems/complaints to administrators
What the Ombuds Office Does Not Do
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Participate in formal grievance processes
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Make administrative decisions for UCB administrators
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Determine "guilt" or "innocence" of those accused of wrong-doing
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Assign sanctions to individuals
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Receive official "notice" for the university about issues
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Give legal advice
