Welcome to the Ombuds Office

The Ombuds Office is a confidential, impartial, independent, and non-adversarial alternative for constructive dialogue, management, and resolution of work-related problems and conflicts.

Function of the Ombuds Office

The ombudsperson reports directly to the president and, as a designated neutral party, has the responsibility of maintaining strict confidentiality concerning matters that are brought to her attention unless given permission by the visitor to do otherwise. The ombudsperson is charged with the responsibility of identifying harmful problems or trends to the administration and of suggesting where attention should be directed to avoid those problems.

What Does an Ombudsperson Do?

The ombudsperson will listen, discuss concerns, answer questions about campus resources, assess and make referral, and help develop options for informally managing and resolving problems or conflicts in the workplace.

The ombudsperson's role is to be impartial and to provide a neutral and safe environment for these discussions. The ombudsperson does not advocate for any one side, but will advocate enthusiastically for fairness, equity, justice, and humane treatment in the workplace. The ombudsperson will not keep identifying records, conduct formal investigations, adjudicate, make decisions for management or act on third-party complaints.

Examples of Concerns That May Be Brought to the Ombuds Office

• Supervisory issues
• Discrimination
• Unfair treatment
• Discipline issues
• Fear of retaliation
• Working conditions
• Unclear expectations
• Workplace disputes between constituents
• Safety problems
• Harassment

Useful links

Carleton's staff handbook

Carleton's faculty handbook