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The Faculty and Staff Ombuds does not keep records of what was said or who has visited and will not reveal this information without permission unless an exception to confidentiality applies. Any support staff to the Ombuds are also bound by this confidentiality. Confidentiality resides with the Ombuds and cannot be “waived” by visitors.

The Ombuds may keep combined information about the kinds of issues that arise to inform university leadership of trends and areas of improvement but will only do so in a way that protects the confidentiality and anonymity of visitors.

Visiting the ombuds does NOT affect any timelines or deadlines associated with formal grievance processes.

The Ombuds will schedule a visit with you for 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on your needs. The Ombuds will begin by explaining their role and the principles that guide their work, including confidentiality and its limitations. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions about the office before sharing anything with the Ombuds.

Contact the Ombuds when you:

• have a question, conflict, idea, concern, or suggestion
• want to gather information about your options
• need to have a difficulty conversation
• want to know how a formal process works and who to contact to get it started
• have a conflict or concern and want to talk it through with a skilled, neutral listener
• want to improve your communication and collaboration skills
• have tried other avenues to resolve a situation and need a new approach

Faculty and Staff Ombuds services are available to the following:

Kent State Faculty:

• Tenure Track (TT) and Non-Tenure Track (NTT) faculty on all ������ campuses.
• Full and Part-Time
• On all ������ Campuses

Kent State Staff: