Ombuds Office
Frequently Asked Questions
An ombuds officer is an appointed, impartial, and independent party who helps members of the UCF community resolve matters by offering informal and confidential exploration of options.
The word OMBUDSMAN (om – buds – man) comes from Scandinavia during the 19th century, where the term applied to a public official appointed to investigate citizens’ complaints against government agencies. The purpose of the Ombuds Office is to assure that every voice in the organization can be heard and that every problem can receive an impartial review.
Excerpt reprinted from The Ombudsman Handbook, The Ombudsman Association, Inc., 1994
All members of the university community (students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents).
The Ombuds Office at the University of Central Florida was established in 1994 by President John C. Hitt to enhance the quality of service offered to all members of the university community.
The office does not replace formal avenues or processes, but offers assistance in an informal, independent, impartial, and confidential manner.
All conversations with the Ombuds Office staff are confidential, unless authorized by the complainant or otherwise required by applicable law, including without limitation, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
The Ombuds Officer keeps no records containing identifying information on behalf of the organization.
The Ombuds Officer will not testify in any formal judicial or administrative hearing about concerns brought to her attention.
If there appears to be imminent threat of serious harm, confidentiality will be broken.
Speak directly with the party involved and try to resolve the issue.
If you are unable to resolve the issue directly with the party involved, advance to the next level of appeal (department chair, dean, director, vice president, etc.).
Depending on your status (student, staff, faculty), consult the appropriate handbook (Golden Rule; Undergraduate or Graduate Catalog; or the Faculty or A&P and USPS Handbook).
Click on "Resources" on the menu bar of this Web page and check out the list of possibilities.
If you feel trapped or lost in an endless maze.
If you’re confused about university policy.
If you need someone to listen to your concern.
If you are seeking informal ways to resolve the issues you face.
If you’re not sure where to go for help.
If you want legal advice or representation. The Ombuds Officer can advise you of your rights within the university, but will not provide legal advice or represent you in a legal matter.
If you have a non-university related disagreement or problem. The Ombuds Office will not address disputes between members of the campus community and private individuals, companies, or organizations not affiliated with UCF. Student Legal Services can be used by students to address this type of problem.
If you want someone to advocate for you in a dispute. The Ombuds Officer is a neutral facilitator, has no stake in the outcome, and is not an advocate for either side.
The Ombuds Officer will not testify in any formal judicial or administrative hearing about concerns brought to her attention.
We will:
Listen to your complaint.
Clarify university policy.
Answer questions concerning appropriate channels.
Assist with problems that have not been resolved by other offices.
Informally investigate your complaint.
Make referrals to individuals who can address your concern.
Help define options that are available to you.
Recommend changes to university policy, rules, or procedures that are outdated, unclear, or ineffective.
Open avenues of communication; facilitate conversations.
Offer a SAFE place to discuss your concerns.
Independence
The Ombuds Office is independent in structure, function and appearance to the highest degree possible within the organization. Read about independence.
Independence
The Ombuds Office is independent in structure, function and appearance to the highest degree possible within the organization. The Ombuds Officer is not part of line management, does not make management decisions, cannot make anyone take a particular course of action, nor does it take on roles that might compromise independence. The Ombuds Officer has access to all information and all individuals in the university community, as permitted by law.
The Ombuds Office is part of the President's Division and reports directly to the Chief of Staff and Vice President, Dr. John Schell, for budgetary and administrative purposes and functions outside the primary university structure. For example, if you come to the Ombuds Office expecting to get a management decision on a specific issue, that will not happen. The Ombuds Officer cannot compel anyone to take a particular course of action, nor is she under any pressure to act in a certain way because she is part of the President's Division. To further keep from compromising the independence of the office, she does not take on other roles that might compromise, or appear to compromise it.Confidentiality
Identities and concerns discussed with the Ombuds Office will not be shared with anyone else without permission, except to the extent required by law, including without limitation, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Read about confidentiality.
Confidentiality
Probably the most important thing about the Ombuds Office is the fact that it is a SAFE place for you to visit. We do not keep records, although I may jot down a few cryptic notes while we're discussing your concern to help me put my thoughts in order and start organizing them in such a way that I can be helpful to you. These personal notes are kept while we're dealing with the situation and only for a short time thereafter. Once your concern is addressed, they are shredded periodically. Should others need to be involved, or should I need to gather more information regarding the situation, I can assure you that I will always discuss in detail with you what I plan to do and will not proceed without your permission.
Sometimes an upset individual will call our office and say that they have a complaint and want to make a record of it. Because of the confidential nature of the Ombuds Office and the fact that we do not keep records, the Ombuds Officer cannot serve as an "Office of Record," or an "Office of Notice." We will, however, direct you to an appropriate office for that purpose.
The only way your confidentiality would be broken is if there is imminent threat of serious harm. For example, if the Ombuds Officer feels that your life or the life of others is at risk.
Please remember that e-mail is not appropriate for confidential communication.Informality
The Ombuds Office is an informal resource that considers the interests and concerns of all members of the UCF community. Read about informality.
Informality
The Ombuds Office is an informal resource that considers the interests and concerns of all members of the UCF community. It is not a place where you give notice of wrong-doing, although it can direct you to the appropriate office. It encourages people to resolve problems at the lowest effective level before they escalate. If they become formal, its involvement stops. The Ombuds Office will not participate in any formal grievance or appeal process.
An Ombuds Officer encourages people to resolve problems at the lowest possible level, rather than let them escalate. For example, if you have a concern about how the information you may have been given by a staff member in a particular department affects your situation, I would not recommend that you contact the vice president of the division where that particular department resides. Instead, I would encourage you to start at the level where your concern can be properly addressed and fixed, if need be.
Sometimes a visitor will discuss a problem or a situation with me hoping that it can be resolved informally. After discussing options, the case may be that the only way it can be resolved is through a formal process. I will explain what formal avenues are available to you, but once you decide to go that route, my involvement stops. The Ombuds Officer will not participate in a formal process, even if the visitor gives permission to do so.Impartiality
The Ombuds Officer does not take sides, but considers the rights and interests of all parties involved in searching for a fair resolution to the problem. Read about impartiality.
Impartiality
The Ombuds Officer is a designated neutral. She neither advocates for the person that calls or visits the office, nor does she advocate for the institution. She has no stake in the outcome.
As an Ombuds Officer, my main goal is to look at both sides of an issue, consider the rights and interests of both parties and advocate for fairness. Often I ask my visitors to focus on the issues rather than the personalities. Many times, we are so upset about what is happening to us, that we stand in our own light. We look at the problem only through one lens.
When you come to the Ombuds Office, I will do my best to help you imagine other outcomes. I will try to help you break down the problem into a manageable size, discuss options, and talk about the pros and cons of each. I will try to open avenues of communications and facilitate conversations. I will do my best to help you gain perspective on your particular situation, so you can make the best possible choice on how to proceed. Should you want to proceed formally, I will not be able to participate in that process. I cannot arbitrate, adjudicate, or be part of a grievance process.
Core Principles
The Ombuds Can:
- Listen to your complaint
- Clarify university policy
- Answer questions concerning appropriate channels
- Assist with problems that have not been resolved by other offices
- Informally look into your complaint
- Make referrals to individuals who can address your concern
- Help define options that are available to you
- Recommend changes to university policy, rules, or procedures that are outdated, unclear, or ineffective
- Open avenues of communication; facilitate conversations
- Offer a SAFE place to discuss your concerns
