In voluntarily visiting the Faculty Ombuds Office of Southern Oregon University and discussing matters related to the work environment, the Visitor understands that the Ombuds and the Faculty Ombuds Office will:
· offer timely support
· provide confidential, neutral, informal, and independent consultation, and mediation if requested
· listen respectfully and non-judgmentally
· help faculty gain perspective on issues, problems, and/or concerns
· clarify University governance structures and suggest appropriate referrals
· help identify resources, evaluate a range of options, and discuss possible next steps
· support fair process and open communication
When requested by the Visitor, the Ombuds will answer questions, seek out additional information, and provide referrals.
Additionally, in an effort to better promote the confidentiality of the services provided by the Faculty Ombuds Office, the Faculty Ombuds Office will not maintain any records regarding information shared by Visitors in confidence unless required by law to do so. The Faculty Ombuds Office will maintain statistics regarding the number of faculty seeking out the services of the office, the time spent annually in serving as an Ombuds, and a list of general areas of concern mentioned by visitors, e.g. student conflicts, promotion concerns, workload issues, etc…
In voluntarily visiting the Faculty Ombuds Office of Southern Oregon University and discussing matters related to the work environment, the Visitor understands that neither the Ombuds nor the Faculty Ombuds Office will:
· advocate for individuals, departments, or divisions
· receive notice of a grievance under the APSOU Collective Bargaining Agreement
· receive notice of a grievance under the Bylaws of the SOU Faculty Constitution
· receive notice of any other legal claim against the University brought forward by the faculty member in a confidential setting
· participate in formal investigations or administrative processes
· revise or rescind policies and administrative decisions
· provide psychological counseling
· maintain records that identify an individual, except as required by law
· offer legal advice
· testify or gather evidence
· share confidential information, unless there is imminent risk of serious harm or disclosure is otherwise required by law
