Office of the Ombudsperson

Virginia Commonwealth University's ombudsperson is a designated confidential and informal dispute resolution practitioner for faculty, classified staff, postdoctoral trainees and students. The ombudsperson is an advocate for fairness. The ombudsperson is independent of VCU's normal reporting and managerial processes.

What does the ombudsperson do?

The VCU ombudsperson provides assistance to help manage and resolve disputes, manage conflicts and learn more productive ways of communicating. The ombudsperson can offer:

• a confidential, neutral, impartial and independent perspective;
• help in clarifying issues and interests;
• assistance in identifying goals and developing and considering a range of options;
• coaching for visitors in written and verbal communication;
• appropriate referrals;
• facilitation of one-on-one or group discussions;
• a neutral third party for discussions;
• assistance to help the visitor review options and develop strategies.