Standards of Practice & Terms of Service

One of the cornerstones of our office is confidentiality. We don’t keep records of your visit, and any documents you share with us will be returned to you. As part of this practice, we delete emails and voicemails and shred all personal working notes after a brief time.

The Ombuds Office is confidential except in situations where there is an imminent risk of harm to yourself or others as well as situations that implicate Title IX (sex or gender-based harassment or discrimination). In these instances, we will explicitly describe our reporting obligation to you.

If a visitor wishes to create a record or put the University “on notice”, we can provide information on how to do so. However, because of the confidentiality inherent in Ombuds communications, communication with this office does not constitute notice to the University of Cincinnati.

The Ombuds Office is an informal resource. We do not facilitate or participate in any formal adjudicative or administrative procedures. However, we may discuss formal processes as an option if appropriate for your situation and frequently support individuals before, alongside, and after formal processes. Our role is to help you, and others, explore options and support you as you engage with the issue.

As a designated neutral party, the ombuds remains unaligned and impartial. We do not take sides but rather take a multi-partial perspective and avoid engaging in any situation that could create a conflict of interest. Our goal is to facilitate fair and unbiased conversations, ensuring that everyone’s concerns are heard and considered.

The ombuds team operates independently in structure, function, and appearance to the highest degree possible. This independence from other university departments and functions allows us to maintain impartial and provide support without external influence, ensuring that our services are as effective and unbiased as possible.

These Principles and Standards inform the terms of service under which the Office of the University Ombuds and its staff (“Ombuds Office”) serve the University of Cincinnati community. The Ombuds Office offers a range of services that are all completely voluntary. By electing to use the services of the Ombuds Office, visitors agree to abide by these terms of use and all other policies and procedures of the Ombuds Office.

Visitors to the office agree to never seek to compel any other individual to disclose any information received as part of receiving or providing Ombuds Office services in any other forum, including any litigation, investigation, or other internal or external proceedings. Visitors also agree to treat all communications (including all email, text, voicemail, phone, written/print, digital/virtual, and in-person communication) as confidential and agree to not record conversations or allow undisclosed individuals to listen in on conversations. Visitors further agree that it is the Ombuds Office that retains the right to the confidentiality of communications and information shared with the Ombuds Office, and that visitors cannot waive such confidentiality. 

In addition, if the Ombuds Office utilizes mediation, facilitation, or another group process the visitors agree to: (i) keep any and all communications that take place in the process confidential unless all parties agree otherwise, (ii) waive any right they may have to use communications that take place in the process in any formal grievance or lawsuit, and (iii) participate in good faith towards a mutually satisfactory outcome.

Because of the confidentiality inherent in Ombuds Office communications, communication with this office does not constitute notice to the University of Cincinnati. Visitors who wish to obligate the University to respond in any way must pursue alternative avenues.  The Ombuds Office can provide information about these alternative avenues.

To safeguard confidentiality, we do not provide Ombuds services by email. Please DO NOT include details about your concerns in an email to the Office of the University Ombuds. Communication with the Office of the University Ombuds does not constitute notice to the University of Cincinnati. Please see our Standards of Practice above.