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BEFORE YOU CALL
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO TO THE OMBUDS OFFICE?
WHAT CAN THE UCSD OMBUDSPERSON DO FOR ME?
EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS AND ISSUES THAT ARE BROUGHT TO THE OMBUDS OFFICE
Before contacting the ombuds office, you may want to consider some of the following:
Speak directly to the person involved with your concern and try to resolve
the issue directly. Some questions to think about include:
How can I approach this person?
Do they usually schedule appointments, or talk with people informally in the
lab, or before or after class?
Are they generally more receptive to talking with people in the morning or
afternoon? (Some people prefer to get “right to work” in the morning
and are more approachable later in the day, or vice versa.)
Is there a way to frame my concern so that (s)he will not be defensive?
For what part of my concern might I be responsible? Or might (s)he think I
am (at least partly) responsible?
Are there things I can offer in our discussion to show that I am truly interested
in resolving the situation, and not just complaining about it?
If you are uncertain about how to approach the person, you may consider consulting
a colleague, friend or other trusted advisor in addition to the ombudsperson
about ways in which you can approach and discuss your situation with the person
involved.
Be prepared. Whether you decide to speak first to the person directly involved,
take the matter to another university official, or come to the ombuds office,
it always helps to be as prepared as you can be in explaining the situation.
Sometimes it helps to organize thoughts if you write out a brief timeline of
events or summary of the situation. Gather all documents related to the situation
and bring them with you to your appointment. Similarly, keep good records and
notes of conversations that you have with people as you try to resolve your
situation.
Do some research. In many situations, there are rules and policies that exist
at the university which may govern your concern. Ask questions about what the
rules or policies are and spend some time on the web and elsewhere researching
them yourself. Be sure to ask about any deadlines that exist for filing appeals
or grievances.
If your efforts to resolve your situation have been unsuccessful, or you are
having difficulty determining how best to resolve your issue, you can contact
the ombuds office to meet with the ombudsperson.
Try to remain optimistic. The good news is that there are almost always several
options that can be explored and decisions that you can make to change your
situation.
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When you visit the ombuds office, the ombudsperson will explain
the role of the office to you. She will explain that the office
keeps all information confidential and that the office helps you
to find options to resolve your issues. The ombudsperson may discuss
both informal as well as more formal options that are available
to you; however, should any party in a dispute choose a more formal
option, at that point services with the ombuds office will discontinue.
The ombuds office does not participate in formal options. Working
informally with the ombuds office often results in effective resolution
of issues, but you should also be aware that in some situations,
you may have formal rights at stake as well.
You will have an opportunity to consult with the ombudsperson and
to describe in your own words the situation as you see it. The ombudsperson
will provide a safe forum to voice your concerns, evaluate your
situation, and help you to organize your thoughts, assess your options,
and decide on what is most important and relevant for your specific
circumstance.
Some options the ombudsperson may discuss with you include simply
talking about your problem, facilitating communication between you
and others, beginning informal processes available at UCSD, or pursuing
a formal grievance proceeding. If appropriate, the ombudsperson
may refer you to another office. At the ombudsperson's discretion
and with your permission, the ombudsperson may contact that office
on your behalf. You will select the options that you prefer. Some
issues can be addressed quickly and resolved within a very short
period of time—within days or a couple of weeks. Other issues
may take much longer (up to several months), and require many steps
to reach a long-term equitable solution for all parties.
If all attempts at resolving the situation informally fail, you
may choose to participate in a formal grievance or complaint process.
Important rights may be affected by the actual date when formal
action is initiated and by the actual date when UCSD is informed
of the allegedly wrongful behavior, and in some situations, you
may wish to consult with an attorney or other resource regarding
your rights. Union members will follow the process outlined in their
collective bargaining agreements. All other individuals will be
subject to the policies and procedures of the University of California
and the campus. Since the scope of the office is limited to informal
dispute resolution, the ombudsperson does not participate in any
formal processes. The ombuds office does not keep records for the
university, and the ombuds office is not available for testimony
or other activity related to any formal process, including grievances,
arbitration, hearings, or litigation.
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The ombudsperson helps individuals resolve issues fairly, and if
possible, informally. The ombudsperson has been given broad access to information
and resources that can be of assistance in developing options to
help people resolve their issues. This includes access to University
administrators, faculty and staff, and records.
• Actively listens to and discusses your questions and concerns
• Helps you to evaluate options and suggests approaches for
addressing concerns
• Serves as a neutral “third party” in conflict resolution
• Advocates for a fair resolution process
• Informally inquiring about issues in order to gain a greater understanding
about a situation
• Coaching and role-playing in order to provide you with some new ways
of trying to resolve a problem on your own
• Providing you with information about policies, procedures, services
and programs
• Facilitating communication between people
• Referring you to another campus resource
• Advising you about steps to resolve the problem informally
• Advising you about formal and administrative options
• Helping you to bring your issues to the attention of those
with authority to address your concerns
• Recommending institutional review or change in policies or procedures
that generate conflict
• Collaborating with other campus offices on issues of general concern
The services of the campus ombudsperson do not compromise or replace policies
or procedures established under collective bargaining agreements. In addition,
UCSD’s campus ombudsperson does not:
• Provide legal advice
• Provide psychological counseling
• Render judgments or make decisions on issues brought to
the office
• Make decisions for administrators or others
• Determine “guilt” or “innocence”
of those accused of wrong-doing
• Conduct formal investigations
• Assign sanctions or discipline to individuals
• Participate in formal hearings (grievance, union, or arbitration),
processes or lawsuits
• Advocate for either party in a dispute
• Accept notice on behalf of the university
Benefits questions
Communication issues with colleagues
Departmental concerns
Discipline/promotion/demotion
Discrimination
Ethical considerations
Grade questions & disputes
Harassment
Performance evaluations
Retaliation
Research data ownership/usage/authorship
Roomate issues
University policies & procedures
Whistleblowing
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