Independent, informal, neutral, confidential.
These four words characterize what the UNMC Ombuds Team program offers to students, faculty and staff. And these terms come from the Standards of Practice of the International Ombudsman Association (IOA), the most recognized organization for higher education ombudspersons.
UNMC’s David Carver, Ph.D., just became an IOA Board of Directors member after serving as an ombudsperson at UNMC since 1996. That two-decade stretch makes Dr. Carver one of the longest serving ombudspersons at any academic institution in the country.
When using the ombudsperson service, a “visitor” can privately discuss options for handling work or school conflicts. It’s a behind-the-scenes consultation service. Dr. Carver and Susan Swindells, M.B.B.S., a longtime member of the UNMC ombuds team, don’t take any notes or keep any written records.
“It’s completely off the books,” Dr. Carver said. “The only exception is if you tell us that you are going to harm yourself or somebody else physically.”
Ombudspersons don’t provide counseling. Instead they help identify options to address problems, working with visitors on how to handle concerns such as a bad performance review or bullying.
“One option that some people choose is to do nothing,” Dr. Carver said. “They just want a confidential sounding board.” As an ombudsman, Dr. Carver is not an “officer of notice” or “mandatory reporter” for the organization. While maintaining independence from the formal chain of command, the ombudsperson provides an “early warning alert” by reporting general problem trends to the chancellor.
“We help visitors to identify possibilities for solving disputes informally,” he said. “We also can tell folks where to go if they choose to file a formal complaint.”
Also, being neutral means that Dr. Carver doesn’t represent or advocate for people using the service. “We don’t take sides, but we may facilitate a conversation or dialogue that leads to a solution,” he said.
Dr. Carver visited an ombudsman’s office himself long ago while a student at Northern Illinois University. The experience was memorable and very positive.
“That’s one reason I’m still committed to this unique role now,” he said.
For more information and to contact the Ombuds Team, click here.