Recommended steps

• Understand the Ombuds role.

  • The Ombuds Office is independent, confidential, impartial, voluntary and off-the-record. The University Ombuds…
    • listens without partiality or judgment;
    • creates no personally-identifying records;
    • explores concerns outside formal processes;
    • seeks and shares information anonymously (if desired);
    • assists visitors connect with resources and processes (internal and external), and;
    • discusses options for dispute resolution, conflict management, and systems change.

• Describe the issue(s) raised neutrally.

  • Summarize the concern(s) of the person as you understand them from a 3^rd-party perspective.
    • Examples:
      • “I understand you are having difficulty working with X.”
      • “I understand you have concerns about X policy/practices of the Department.”
    • Avoid saying or implying someone is right or wrong (unless you are required to do so or you have a personal relationship with the other person)
      • Examples to avoid:
        • “You are getting into too many fights with….”
        • “That’s a violation of CSU policy.”

• Acknowledge emotions and concerns at stake.

  • Empathize with feelings expressed or what feelings a person might have in the circumstances as they described them. This helps the person feel normal and safe in addressing the issues.
    • Avoid affirming that events happened as the person described them unless your role doesn’t require you to be neutral (i.e., you are not a supervisor and were also affected)
    • You don’t need to validate the person’s perceptions; merely note that the person’s emotions and/or concerns are understandable.
    • Examples:
      • “It makes sense you would feel X considering what you shared about the situation.”
      • “I could see why you would be afraid of retaliation from what you’ve said about your history with X.”

• Note what you can and can’t do to help.

  • Offer to help to the extent you can within your resources, time, professional limitations and personal boundaries.
    • Avoid giving an impression of a brush-off
  • Examples:
    • “I can arrange schedules to accommodate this situation for now but I also have to consider the department’s interests as a whole.”
    • “I can be a listening ear, but I can’t be part of a discussion with X about this because I am close to X as well.”

• Identify the Ombuds Office as an additional resource.

  • Explain that the ombuds is independent from all other University functions (including yours), is confidential, anonymous (if desired), and that all options the person discusses are off-the-record without obligation to take further action.
  • Explain that no information shared with the ombuds will come back to you unless the person wants it to, including whether the person spoke with the ombuds at all.
  • Explain that using the Ombuds Office does not replace or foreclose any other programs or processes (e.g., HR, Student Conduct, the Title IX office[1], Union representation)—the ombuds just provides perspective, insight and options.
  • Express confidence in the Ombuds Office if you have experience or a belief that a discussion with the University Ombuds or a review of the website can be helpful.
    • Examples:
      • “The Ombuds Office is good at helping people sort out power dynamics. No one will know what you shared or even whether you talked to the ombuds—including me.”
      • “The ombuds office is experienced in facilitating difficult conversations and set up by its charter to do so. You can set up a confidential consultation online first to see if that might help.”
      • “In my role as X, I can help move your concern about this issue forward. Before we do that, you could also talk to the Ombuds Office to make sure you’ve got a good handle on the issues and you understand all your options. There’s no requirement to use the ombuds though—I just wanted to share that resource. It’s confidential.”

[1] CSU Policy as of August 2023 requires the Ombuds Office to disclose incidents of discrimination that violate Title IX. If an incident is shared with the University Ombuds, the visitor and ombuds will discuss what will be shared with the Title IX office before any report is made.