Terms of Reference

The mission of the William & Mary Ombuds Office is to ensure that employees have access to a resource for informally addressing workplace concerns in a fair and equitable manner. The Ombuds Office carries out this mission by way of two complementary approaches:

Receiving and assisting individuals toward the resolution of concerns on a confidential and informal basis, and;
Supporting procedures that advance the goal of a fair conflict management system.

The Ombuds Office is an independent, neutral, confidential and informal resource where university employees can obtain assistance in resolving conflicts or problems. William & Mary supports the Ombuds Office and acknowledges it as a key organizational resource for its workforce.

Standards of Practice

The Ombuds Office provides a place where William & Mary faculty and staff may voluntarily seek guidance or assistance in resolving disputes or concerns through a confidential, neutral, informal, and independent resource without fear of retaliation or loss of privacy.

Services of the Ombuds Office do not replace formal grievance procedures at the University. They include but are not limited to:

Individual Consultation: Upon request for a meeting, the Ombuds listens to the concerns of visitors, helps to bring an understanding of the issues, looks for information applicable to the situation, including university policies and procedures or other resource materials, and assists visitors in understanding their interests and exploring options for resolving concerns.
Coaching and Training: The Ombuds helps visitors to develop skills for better handling conflict and managing interpersonal relations through individual coaching or referral to appropriate services and/or resources. Where appropriate, the Ombuds Office will assist visitors in improving communication with a colleague through facilitated conversation. Any facilitated conversation undertaken through the Ombuds Office is strictly voluntary by all participants.

Relationship with the University

The Ombuds Office is an informal third party not affiliated with any office at the University. The Ombuds Office is not affiliated with any compliance function of the University and therefore does not serve as an agent of notice for the institution. The services of the Ombuds Office supplement rather than replace formal resources for grievances such as those of University Human Resources, University Counsel, the Office of Compliance & Equity, or other compliance units. The Ombuds Office maintains active contact with these units while keeping the confidentiality of visitors. The Ombuds Office also offers consultative services to assist in improving existing or developing new policies and practices when appropriate.

The Ombuds Office works independently and can contact any level of the organization deemed to be appropriate as needed. All interactions with the Ombuds Office are voluntary and confidential. The University prohibits retaliation against any employee for using the services provided by the Ombuds Office.

The Ombuds Office provides the University with trending information about systemic issues detrimental to employee satisfaction. The goal of trend reporting is to help prevent the recurrence of issues.

The Ombuds Office shall produce annual reports presented to the Provost and made available to the University community. Such reports will not disclose any information that would breach the confidentiality of any individual. Instead, the reports will provide an overview of the issues raised with and demographic profile of visitors seeking services from the Ombuds. The University shall use the reports as it deems appropriate.

Professional Membership

The William & Mary Ombuds are members of the International Ombuds Associationn (IOA) and adheres to its Standards of Practice & Code of Ethics. These delineate minimum standards and the Ombuds Office operates according to these best practices in a way that serves the best interests of the William & Mary community. The Ombuds Office shall take appropriate steps to make the tenets of best practices of the Ombuds profession available to the University community.