Faculty who come to me for help are often disappointed I won’t resolve their problems for them. Sometimes I wish I could – but  resolving your issue isn’t my responsibility; helping you resolve it is my role. Why?

As UMKC’s Faculty Ombudsperson, I serve as an “organizational ombuds.” Organizational ombuds are not the same as “classical ombudspersons” – those often found in government agencies or working in Europe or Canada. The major difference is that organizational ombuds maintain neutrality throughout our work. We don’t do in-depth investigations to determine “fault” or responsibility. We don’t issue findings that make recommendations for action. Classical ombuds will do these things.

Why? It’s because of our commitment to neutrality and impartiality. Our goal is to provide you with tools to use your voice and skills to resolve problems. This way, you may learn new methods or ideas to resolve future issues before they become insurmountable.

What good is an ombuds who doesn’t resolve issues? Actually, we can do a lot. Here’s a list summarized from the International Ombudsman Association:

• We listen and understand issues while remaining neutral with respect to the facts. We don’t judge or decide who is right or wrong. We listen to understand the issue from your perspective.
• We assist in reframing issues and helping individuals evaluate options. This helps you identify the interests of various parties and helps focus efforts on potential options that may satisfy those involved.
• We guide or coach individuals to deal directly with others, including through using formal resolution resources.
• We refer individuals to appropriate resolution resources.
• We assist in surfacing issues to formal resolution channels. If you are unable or unwilling to voice a concern directly, we can voice your concern, while maintaining your confidentiality, among the organization’s appropriate decision-makers.
• We facilitate informal resolution processes. We may attempt to resolve issues between parties through various types of informal mediation.
• We identify new opportunities for systemic organizational change.  While maintaining appropriate confidentiality, we can be a source of detection and early warning of new issues and suggest ideas for systemic change to improve existing processes.

In my experience in my ombuds work, neutrality and impartiality is the hardest principle to explain – understandably, many faculty who visit my office want me to be their advocate. And sometimes administrators expect me to take their side. But as an organizational ombuds, my responsibility is to remain neutral and impartial. The better we can resolve our own issues, the more our university will be a place we can be productive and do our best work.