University Ombuds
The University Ombuds provides the University of Mississippi Community with a confidential, neutral, independent, and informal place to voluntarily seek assistance with bringing forth and resolving campus-related concerns, problems, or disputes.
Welcome to the Office of the University Ombuds!
Why we exist
In any large organization, particularly one as diverse and complex as the University of Mississippi, disputes, concerns, and interpersonal conflicts are inevitable. The University established the Ombuds’ Office in 2015 to help the University of Mississippi Community live up to the ideals set forth in the Creed. To accomplish this, the University Ombuds provides the University of Mississippi Community with a confidential, neutral, independent, and informal place to voluntarily seek assistance with bringing forth and resolving campus-related concerns, problems, or disputes.
Faculty, staff, and graduate students may use the University Ombuds to discuss workplace issues, interpersonal conflicts, bureaucratic issues, and other problems. The University Ombuds acts in the pursuit of equity and fairness for all members of the University of Mississippi Community. The purpose of the University Ombuds is to ensure that every voice at the University of Mississippi can be heard, without fear of loss of privacy, retaliation, or retribution.
Whether the issue is large or small, members of the University of Mississippi Community are encouraged to come and talk with the University Ombuds. Often issues are easiest to solve at the earliest stages and before they have a major impact. The University Ombuds can assist by serving as a confidential listener, providing guidance with policies and procedures, generating options and ideas for handling concerns, mediating, facilitating difficult conversations, and providing information on other campus resources. The University Ombuds’ Office fosters civility and mutual respect among members of the University of Mississippi Community. The University Ombuds helps identify the nature and scope of concerns or conflicts and then identify options and resources to achieve fair and equitable outcomes.
Who we serve
The University Ombuds serves all faculty, staff, and graduate students at the Oxford Campus and at the satellite campuses in Tupelo and Desoto. Additionally, the University Ombuds serves faculty and staff directly employed by the University of Mississippi at the Grenada Center and the Boonville Center. At the present time, the University Ombuds’ Office does not serve employees or students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
What we do
- Interpersonal conflicts
- Disciplinary actions
- Performance evaluations
- Workplace health and safety concerns
- Personal and sick leave concerns
- Understanding University policies and procedures
- Claims against reputation
- Ethical dilemmas
- Understanding formal grievance options and procedures
- Policy violations
- Unprofessional conduct
- Harassment
- Incivility
- Discrimination
- Cultural misunderstandings
- Bullying
- Retaliation or threats of retaliation
- Departmental conflict
- Listen attentively to concerns and recommendations
- Keep your visit confidential, unless there is a danger if imminent harm or required by law
- Help identify a range of resolution options
- Explain University policies and procedures
- Facilitate communication between people
- Mediate between parties
- Serve as a facilitator in group problem-solving
- Make referrals to other sources of assistance
- Provide information about formal and informal reporting options
- Suggest the redirection of matters to formal channels when appropriate
- Advocate for fairness, equity, inclusion, and a healthy campus environment
- Consult with University units and departments on options for conflict resolution
- Assist in achieving outcomes consistent with fairness, established policies, and the law
- Provide confidential guidance, information and individual coaching to help prepare for difficult conversations
- Point out patterns of problems/complaints to administrators
- Identify trends and make recommendations for improvement to prevent issues from recurring
- Make recommendations regarding changes in policy and procedures
- Tell anyone what they should do
- Take sides in a dispute
- Serve as an advocate or represent any individual or group
- Determine guilt or innocenceProvide legal advice or representation
- Provide counseling services
- Make or overturn management decisions
- Make, change, or set aside established policies
- Participate in any formal grievance process
- Testify in any formal process inside or outside the University
- Serve as a judge or arbitrator in a dispute, or otherwise make determinations about the outcome of the case
- Serve as an office of record (the Office of the Ombudsperson does not keep formal records)
- Accept notice for the University (although members of the University of Mississippi Community are welcome to meet with the University Ombudsperson to discuss where and how to file a formal grievance or put the University on notice)
- Handle academic complaints, such as grade appeals
- Breach confidentiality
- Conduct formal or in-depth investigations
- Replace existing resources
The University Ombuds’ Office is an independent entity that reports directly to the Chancellor and operates outside of ordinary University structures. The University Ombuds is independent of formal campus investigative and adjudicative processes and plays no role in them. The University Ombuds provides the Chancellor with periodic reports about trends on campus and provides upward feedback to University administrators; however, any data or reports that are shared are prepared in a manner that protects confidentiality.
The Office’s Charter Agreement was approved and signed by Interim Chancellor Stocks in 2015; this Agreement sets forth the duties and privileges of the Ombuds, and confirms that this Office will operate according to the standards of practice and code of ethics set forth by the International Ombudsman Association. These principles require that the Office is impartial, independent of other campus offices and processes, informal, and confidential.
All communication with the University Ombuds and the University Ombuds’ Office is informal and “off the record.” Neither the University Ombuds nor the University Ombuds’ Office act as an agent of “notice” for the University. Neither the University Ombuds nor the University Ombuds’ Office accept notice on behalf of the University of Mississippi. Consulting with the University Ombuds will not initiate any formal complaint process; however, members of the University of Mississippi Community are welcome to meet with the University Ombuds to discuss where and how to file a formal grievance or how to put the University on notice. In the alternative, members of the University of Mississippi Community are welcome to contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance (662) 915-7735, the Title IX Office, Telephone (662) 915-7045, TDD:(662) 915-1570, or the Office of General Counsellocated at 209 Lyceum, Telephone (662) 915-7014, Fax (662) 915-5640 in order to provide the University with formal notice of an issue.
Confidentiality is the bedrock upon which the University Ombuds’ Office’s reputation rests. We take the confidentiality of the users of our services – “visitors” in the language of the ombuds profession – very seriously. All services are confidential to the full extent allowed by law and University policy. The Office does not keep formal records, and neither the University Ombuds nor the University Ombuds’ Office should be sent or copied on any formal message. Any notes regarding a visitor to the University Ombuds’ Office are seen only by the University Ombuds, and are destroyed when the issue is resolved or when the file becomes inactive. The University Ombuds will not testify in any formal process inside the University and will not voluntarily testify in any formal process outside of the University, even if given permission or requested to do so.
There are situations when the University Ombuds may disclose the identity of visitors or the content of confidential communications with the University Ombuds or the University Ombuds’ Office:
- When given permission to do so by the visitor
- When required by law or a court of law
- When the Ombuds perceives an imminent risk of serious harm and there is no reasonable alternative to disclosure available
- When there is reasonable cause for suspicion of child abuse
Our Location
The University Ombuds’ Office is located on the third floor of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute (LaBauve Hall), in Room 318.
To reach the University Ombuds’ Office, enter the Trent Lott Leadership Institute through either the entrance located under the brick archway between the Trent Lott Leadership Institute and Odom Hall or the entrance located under the brick archway between the Trent Lott Leadership Institute and Deupree Hall and then take either the stairs or the elevator to the third floor. Please note that these entrances are not handicapped accessible and require the climbing of five stairs to reach the ground floor lobby adjacent to the stairwell and elevator; however, two accessible ramps lead to the main entrance of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute.
For those entering through the main Trent Lott Leadership Institute doors, take either the hallway to the left or the hallway to the right of the main staircase and then use either the elevator or stairs to reach the third floor.
If you have an interest in meeting with the University Ombuds and have accessibility concerns, please contact the University Ombuds at extension 1537 to arrange a meeting at a campus location that is convenient for you.
Contact Us or Make an Appointment
If you would like to schedule an appointment to discuss an issue or concern, or if you just want to learn more about the services provided by the University Ombuds’ Office, please call our office at *67 (662) 915-1537.
DIAL *67 before calling the Ombuds Office telephone number
In order to protect your confidentiality, please do not leave any confidential information in voicemail.
Do not call the Ombuds Office from a university telephone.
If you wish to prevent University administrators or anyone making a public records request from gaining knowledge that you telephoned the Ombuds Office, dialing *67 before dialing our number is usually sufficient to mask your number so even we do not know who has called us.
Office Information
Prior arrangements can be made for appointments outside of our usual office hours. We understand that your workplace may not be located on the Oxford Campus or that you may not have the freedom to leave your work location during working hours. Give us a call and we will find a time to meet with you.
You may reach the Office of the Ombuds via e-mail at: ombuds@olemiss.edu
If you choose to e-mail the Office of the Ombuds or the University Ombuds, please do so with the understanding that e-mail is NOT considered to be a secure method of communication and may be subject to monitoring by University officials or subject to public records disclosure. If you choose to contact the University Ombuds through e-mail, please limit communications to scheduling appointments and refrain from providing other details about your inquiry or concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
It doesn’t. Ombuds, Ombudsman, and Ombudsperson are interchangeable titles for a person employed by an organization for the purpose of providing employees with independent and neutral assistance with resolving concerns, complaints, and other issues, in a confidential, and informal manner.
As with other organizations that employ an Ombuds, the independence and neutrality/impartiality of the Ombuds is guaranteed by the Ombuds Charter Agreement. The Charter specifies that the Ombuds reports directly to the Chancellor and operates independently of ordinary University structures. The Charter also specifies that the Ombuds will operate according to the standards of practiceand code of ethics set forth by the International Ombudsman Association. These principles require that the Office is impartial, independent of other campus offices and processes, informal, and confidential.
The University of Mississippi established the Ombuds’ Office in 2015 to help the University of Mississippi Community live up to the ideals set forth in the Creed. In any organization as large, diverse, and complex as the University of Mississippi, disputes, concerns, and interpersonal conflicts are inevitable; however, the University wanted all members of the Campus Community to have an opportunity to be heard – to be able to voice concerns, resolve issues, and help improve the campus environment, without fear of retaliation, retribution, or loss of privacy.
The University Ombuds serves all faculty, staff, and graduate students at the Oxford Campus and at the satellite campuses in Tupelo and Desoto. Additionally, faculty and staff directly employed by the University of Mississippi at the Grenada Center and the Boonville Center may utilize the Ombuds.
Faculty, staff, and graduate students may use the Ombuds to discuss workplace issues, interpersonal conflicts, bureaucratic issues, and other problems. The University Ombuds acts in the pursuit of equity and fairness and helps members of the University of Mississippi Community identify options for resolving their issues.
The Ombuds can help if an employee:
- Feels they have treated unfairly, or excluded
- Has been unsuccessful in resolving a problem
- Feels bullied or intimidated
- Needs help navigating the bureaucracy or cutting through “red tape”
- Needs help facilitating a conversation or mediating a dispute
- Wants assistance providing another employee with constructive feedback
- Wants to practice having a difficult conversation
- Is having a conflict with a supervisor or coworker
- Has a question about a University Policy
- Has an ethical dilemma
- Is not sure where to turn
- Has any other Campus concern or suggestion
The Ombuds does not advocate for anyone or tell anyone what they should do. The Ombuds does not provide either legal advice or counseling services. The Ombuds has no authority to make or overturn management decisions, to determine guilt or innocence, or set aside established policies.
It is also important to know that, all communication with the University Ombuds and the University Ombuds’ Office is informal and “off the record.” Neither the University Ombuds nor the University Ombuds’ Office act as an agent of “notice” for the University. Neither the University Ombuds nor the University Ombuds’ Office accept notice on behalf of the University of Mississippi.
That is incorrect. Consulting with the Ombuds will not initiate any formal complaint process; however, members of the University of Mississippi Community are welcome to meet with the Ombuds to discuss where and how to file a formal grievance or how to put the University on notice. In the alternative, members of the University of Mississippi Community are welcome to contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance (662) 915-7735, the Title IX Office, Telephone (662) 915-7045, TDD:(662) 915-1570, or the Office of General Counsel located at 209 Lyceum, Telephone (662) 915-7014, Fax (662) 915-5640 in order to provide the University with formal notice of an issue.
Whether the issue is large or small, members of the University of Mississippi Community are encouraged to come and talk with the Ombuds. Often issues are easiest to solve at the earliest stages and before they have a major impact. Even if the issue is small, others on Campus may have similar issues and the Ombuds can help find a Campus-wide resolution of the issue.
Call *67 (662) 915-1537, e-mail ombuds@olemiss.edu, or stop by the Office of the Ombudsperson – at 318 Trent Lott Leadership Institute . If you call the office, please do not leave any confidential information in voicemail. Likewise, it is important to know that e-mail is NOT a confidential method of communication. If you choose to contact the Ombuds through e-mail, please limit communications to scheduling appointments and refrain from providing other details about your inquiry or concern.
Dialing *67 can hide your telephone number from prying eyes. If you wish to prevent University administrators or anyone making a public records request from gaining knowledge that you telephoned the Ombuds Office DO NOT CALL THE OMBUDS OFFICE FROM A UNIVERSITY TELEPHONE. Also, when calling the Ombuds Office, dialing *67 before dialing our number is usually sufficient to mask your number so even we do not know who has called us.
If you call us before visiting, we can provide detailed directions for avoiding video surveillance on your way to our office. We are also available to meet at other locations on or off campus at your request.
The Ombuds will provide a confidential and comfortable setting for talking about your issue. When you first get there, the Ombuds will review some basic information about how the Office works; you will then have an opportunity to discuss your issue. The Ombuds will listen carefully and take your issue or concern seriously. The Ombuds will then assist you with identifying your options and help you identify a strategy for reporting or finding a resolution to your issue.