We serve everybody. Typically faculty and staff questions concern performance evaluations or salary, but sometimes range to more serious complaints, including sexual harassment and discrimination. She and Gayle Prager, UC's associate ombudsperson, handle all the inquiries with the assistance of two graduate students. We are available. We help them understand their choices.
Conflicts occasionally arise with other employees, supervisors or students.
In these cases, Ombuds will provide conversational coaching or mediation. We try to show both parties how to work through it. Reynolds and Santa-Maria explained that when we become angry, frustrated or devastated, we often lose perspective. These disagreements can usually be settled. We work with people early before it gets out of hand.