Office of the University Staff Ombuds Charter
The Office of the University Staff Ombuds Charter defines the mission, role, code of ethics and principles of the office.
Ombuds CharterGuiding Principles
Standards of Practice
Confidentiality
The office of university staff ombuds will not share or discuss your information with anyone.
Informality
Our office does not have any formal authority to make decisions or change policies at Georgetown. We facilitate conversations when appropriate.
Independence
The ombuds office operates independently from the university.
Neutrality
We do not advocate for any party. Our office promotes fairness and looks for ways to understand and resolve dispute.
What our office does
- Provide a safe place to share your thoughts
- Listen to understand
- Help you analyze difficult and complex situations
- Provide non-adversarial approaches to problem solving
- Refer individuals to appropriate Georgetown University resources
- Facilitate improved group communication and functioning
- Identify trends and systemic problems
- Conduct informal climate assessments
What our office does NOT do
- Share information about visitors to the office without the visitors’ permission
- Participate in a formal grievance or complaint process
- Advocate on anyone’s behalf
- Provide notice of alleged violations
- Conduct formal investigations or produce investigative reports
- Testify or serve as a witness
- Make binding decisions
- Require anyone to follow the Staff Ombuds’ recommendations