Referrals Welcome

Add the Office of the University Ombuds to your resource toolkit! A referral may be useful when:

• you see someone struggling with a UC-related conflict, 
• someone else’s UC-related situation is impacting the progress of a group you’re part of, or
• someone has asked for your guidance about a UC-related situation and:
  • you’re uncertain about what policy, procedures, or resources are applicable,
  • they need to talk through the situation and their options in a deeper way than your time allows, or
  • you don’t believe you’re the best person to assist them.

Phrases that may be helpful when making a referral:

• “I’ve heard that the Ombuds Office is available to anyone who is working through a challenging UC-related situation.”
• “This seems like a situation you’d like to address before it gets bigger. Have you considered meeting with an Ombuds?”
• “I’ve heard really positive things about the Ombuds Office as a place that helps clarify challenging situations and open new options for next steps.” 
• “I think the Ombuds Office might be helpful for you because...”
• If sending an email, you are welcome to copy/paste this text: 
  The Office of the University Ombuds, an impartial and largely confidential conflict navigation resource, may be useful to you in this situation. In a meeting with an Ombuds, you could talk through this situation in depth and receive support in thinking through what’s most important to you and what your options are. What happens next (if anything) would be entirely up to you. The Ombuds website explains what to expect from a visit with that office and offers online scheduling for an initial appointment.

Want to talk through how to make a good referral within a specific context, see what the experience would be like before you refer someone, or offer us background information on the situation? Schedule a consultation just like an initial appointment.

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. Learn more about our Standards of Practice. Additionally, by utilizing Ombuds services, you are agreeing to our Terms of Service.