Annual Report
2019-2020

At first glance, a decision to visit or work with the ombuds office seems counterintuitive. The ombuds office cannot conduct a formal investigation or impose a decision on anyone. The ombuds has no policy-making authority. Working with the ombuds is completely voluntary. And the University Ombuds cannot advocate for any person, organization or point-of-view.

So what brings people to the Ombuds Office then? In a word: Trust. People trust that the University Ombuds will listen without bias, develop options with no agenda, and advocate for fairness and equity for all. There are at least three reasons people trust the ombuds to do so. First, the Ombuds Charter grants University Ombuds confidentiality to the greatest extent possible within the California State University system. All employees can speak with the ombuds without fear. Their words and identity will not be disclosed to others without their knowledge. Second, the Ombuds can be a true sounding-board because the Ombuds Office has no formal affiliation with any Division or Department. Last, in talking to the ombuds, employees will not be required to become involved in any formal actions until they are ready.

On a personal level, I believe people trust the Ombuds Office because I acknowledge my life experiences, statuses, and privilege have shaped me as an individual. Although the ombuds role is impartial, I acknowledge I am human and prone to biases and mistakes. Openly acknowledging my humanity and imperfections, I seek to learn others' perspectives and work from their point-of-view. I start from curiosity about what others have experienced and learn about the impact of adverse actions and inequities without judgment. Then, I help find ways to address those impacts and inequities that meet their needs in the time and place of their choosing.

In short, the Ombuds Office has been established upon an institutional commitment to confidentiality to the greatest extent possible, respect for independence, and an appreciation for the possibilities for informal solutions. Feedback received from visitors and workshop participants supports this conclusion. As people feel heard without fear of retaliation, feel respected without judgment, and empowered without pressure, CSUCI becomes a campus more resilient in conflict, inclusive of diverse backgrounds and experiences, and skillful in navigating change.

Information regarding Ombuds Outreach are included in the "Educational Efforts" tab. And more information about ombuds services can be found at the CSUCI Ombuds Website. Additionally, the International Ombudsman Association recently published a two-page outline describing how organizational ombuds make a difference in their communities using the tools and values of the profession: The Modern Ombuds.

Below are statistics illustrating the employment status of ombuds visitors, how long visitors have worked for CSUCI, what organizational Divisions they come from, their collective bargaining affiliations, and race and ethnicity as reported voluntarily. This information is included to help assess patterns and potential needs for informal conflict management support.

Note: Identification of racial and ethnic identification are optional during visitor intake. The current intake questionnaire includes questions about gender, gender identity, and sexuality. Regarding these sensitive questions, potential visitors are told:

"Gender/gender identity, sexuality, race, and Hispanic/Latinx/Chicanx status help the ombuds office identify patterns or clusters of concern regarding conflict and the experiences of conflict at CSUCI. Answering these questions is optional. In each case, you may choose 'other' and provide your own description. No personally-identifiable information is correlated with your answers. Individual answers will not be shared with anyone. Your answers will not be considered in determining how the ombuds office will help, except to the extent you authorize it."

When people schedule an appointment with the Ombuds Office through the scheduling website (link), individuals are automatically directed to an intake form which asks for non-identifying background information. This information feeds into a spreadsheet which generates a random seven-digit number which I then use to correlate the categories of concerns raised, any concerns about status (e.g., race), any concerns about institutional accountability and effectiveness (e.g., that a supervisor may retaliate), my assessment of the scope of issues raised (e.g., affecting an entire office), and the means of meeting (e.g., via Zoom). Following each meeting scheduled through the website, ombuds visitors receive an automatically generated email requesting they complete a feedback survey (link). I send out similar feedback requests following workshops. Participants in Coffee & Collaboration workshops receive an automatically generated feedback request as well.

I instituted automatic intake form redirection with appointment scheduling as well as automatic post-visit feedback solicitation at the beginning of Academic Year 2020-2021. Previously, I simply included a link to the intake form on the scheduling page and (when we met in person) asked individuals to complete the intake using an iPad and gave individuals a link to the feedback form. Data is not available to show how often individuals complete the intake form before the changed procedure. However I am confident it has increased substantially. With regard to feedback, the number of feedback responses increased from 60 total over the course of AY2019-2020 to 21 total from 1 July 2020 to 11 September 2020.

Some additional feedback comments (redacted to protect identity) include:

• "I'm not sure what else can be done to ensure the confidentiality of your office, but I sense that could be a deterrent for many people."

• "I think declaring up front that whatever you say will be disclosed to the President's office is a good idea, because some complaints easily identify the complainant. [Note: individual comments are NOT shared with the President's office.] Also, if Ombuds hears the same thing over and over about a specific employee or supervisor, that should definitely be taken to the President's office. ... There are many ways to make an employee's life miserable without it looking like retaliation."

• "The presentation to [Division] was great. Based upon the questions, possibly go over a few more details about the types of general/broad figures that will be reported back."

• "I think managers need to be informed about what the Ombuds Office does so they can utilize their services to help resolve issues within the department."

• "Mark, thanks so much for your guidance on this. I didn’t even have to practice!!"

• "I’m confident that this [issue improvement] would never have happened if not for your good work."

• "Thank you for letting me express my thoughts in a confidential way."

Greater details about feedback, including the significance of ombuds professional standards such as confidentiality and independence as well as alternatives considered by visitors (e.g., quitting or suing the university) are included in the following report (double click to open in a new tab):