Any employee classified as faculty. This includes full- and part-time faculty members as well as faculty administrators.
The Faculty Ombuds
Where solutions start with a conversation
What is an Ombuds?
The Ombuds is a person whose role is to help visitors find solutions to a wide variety of work-related issues.
Conversations with an ombuds are confidential and informal. By talking with an ombuds, a visitor does are not put the University on notice or initiate any formal report or complaint. But the Ombuds can help you explore available options.
- Ombuds are independent of every other office in the University.
- Ombuds are trained to actively and empathetically listen.
- Ombuds look at a situation from many angles while remaining impartial to any one side.
The Ombuds Serves all Faculty at UTA
*Please reach out if you feel that you have any barrier to accessing the Ombuds' service and we can discuss further
What the Ombuds Can Do
We give you the opportunity to discuss and resolve problems outside of formal channels. The ombudsperson will:
- Listen to your concerns.
- Offer a safe place to discuss.
- Suggest options available to you.
- Provide resources and services, both internal and external.
- Explain university policies and procedures, or services
- Provide support in navigating university procedures (e.g., faculty grievance or disciplinary action)
- Assist in informally resolving a concern or conflict.
- Help you find a path forward.
What the Ombuds Cannot Do
While the university ombudsperson provides an effective and valuable service, they cannot do certain things, including:
- Provide legal advice.
- Conduct formal investigations.
- Change rules, policies, procedures, or decisions made by a university official
- Act as an advocate.
- Take sides in a dispute.
- Tell visitors what to do.
- Provide psychological counseling or therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Ombuds serves as an objective thought-partner for faculty experiencing challenges in their work life. The Ombuds will actively listen, ask constructive questions, and brainstorm options with the visitor to assist them in making their own informed decisions about next steps.
The work of ombuds is guided by four core principles that make the service they offer different from every other office on campus.
Confidentiality: Information shared by the visitor will not be disclosed without the visitor’s permission except as required by law or when the Ombuds determines there may be an immediate risk of serious harm.
The Ombuds Office does not maintain records that identify visitors to the office.
Impartiality: The ombuds is here to serve all members of the faculty, so does not take sides on any particular issue. The Ombuds advocates for productive communication and fair processes. The Ombuds does not serve as an advocate for any party in a dispute.
Independence: The Ombuds Office is independent in structure, function, and appearance, and is outside of other administrative structures at UTA.
Informality: The Ombuds Office is not an office of notice and is therefore not authorized to receive formal complaints on behalf of the university. Talking to the ombuds does not mean you have put the university on notice about your situation. However, the ombuds can direct you to the most useful resources on or off campus to resolve your situation.
Confidentiality: Information shared by the visitor will not be disclosed without the visitor’s permission except as required by law or when the Ombuds determines there may be an immediate risk of serious harm.
The Ombuds Office does not maintain records that identify visitors to the office.
Impartiality: The ombuds is here to serve all members of the faculty, so does not take sides on any particular issue. The Ombuds advocates for productive communication and fair processes. The Ombuds does not serve as an advocate for any party in a dispute.
Independence: The Ombuds Office is independent in structure, function, and appearance, and is outside of other administrative structures at UTA.
Informality: The Ombuds Office is not an office of notice and is therefore not authorized to receive formal complaints on behalf of the university. Talking to the ombuds does not mean you have put the university on notice about your situation. However, the ombuds can direct you to the most useful resources on or off campus to resolve your situation.
Visitors to the Ombuds Office come in to discuss any issue that is affecting their work life. Visitors might just want to tell their story. Or visitors might want to investigate how they could solve their problem informally or learn more about formal procedures they could pursue. Maybe a visitor wants to understand more about policies that might apply to their situation or resources that could help them. There is no one standard reason that might bring a visitor to the office and no problem is too big or too small. Some example concerns include:
• Communication with colleagues or supervisors
• Disputes and disagreements with a colleague or supervisor
• Workplace inequity or negative work climate
• Procedural inequities or delays in accessing services
• Inappropriate, or uncivil behavior
Faculty can also proactively visit with the Ombuds when they have questions about:
• University policy, practices, resources, or services
• Conducting difficult conversations
• Communicating effectively
• Career planning
Ombuds contribute to change on campus by reporting on trending issues to university leadership and making recommendations about solutions. This high-level reporting does not compromise the confidentiality of the office because it is very general and includes no specifics about cases.
To set up a meeting with the Jackie you may email the office at facultyombuds@uta.edu
To help ensure the confidentiality of all parties involved please do not discuss the details of your concerns in the email; just indicate that you would like to schedule a meeting.
Meetings can take place in-person in the ombuds Office (Trinity Hall 106A) or another place around campus, such as your office, a coffee shop, or the library. You can also meet the ombuds virtually on Microsoft Teams.
To help ensure the confidentiality of all parties involved please do not discuss the details of your concerns in the email; just indicate that you would like to schedule a meeting.
Meetings can take place in-person in the ombuds Office (Trinity Hall 106A) or another place around campus, such as your office, a coffee shop, or the library. You can also meet the ombuds virtually on Microsoft Teams.
Visits with the ombuds are scheduled for one hour. The ombuds will start by briefly explaining the principles by which the office operates to make sure that the visitor understands the process. Then the ombuds will invite the visitor to tell their story, asking follow-up questions along the way. When the ombuds has gained a good sense of the visitor’s situation, the visit(s) will become more about exploring options, brainstorming ideas, rehearsing conversations, drafting communications, coaching, or similar activities to assist the visitor to find their own solution. The process may take one or multiple visits and can extend over weeks or even months depending on the nature of the issue.