Office of the Ombudsman
Staff members of the Ombudsman's Office at the Texas Tech University provide informal, neutral, and confidential dispute resolution services. We assist people with interpersonal misunderstandings or disputes as well as those with concerns about academic or administrative issues. We attempt to help individuals resolve their concerns fairly and, if possible, informally.
Our services operates independently as a supplement to existing administrative or formal grievance procedures and has no formal decision-making authority. We do not act as advocates for either side in a dispute. Rather, we act as advocates for fairness for all parties involved. Perhaps most importantly, we operate confidentially, which means we do not acknowledge who has--or has not--used the Ombudsman's Office without the permission of the individual.
The Ombudsman's Office deals with a wide range of conflicts, complaints, and disputes.
Examples:
- Policies and procedures (campus, college/school, or departmental)
- Decisions or actions affecting groups or individuals
- Grading issues
- Interpersonal disputes
- Unfair treatment
The Ombudsman's Office Does:
- Listen and discuss questions, concerns, and complaints
- Help evaluate various options to address concerns
- Answer questions or help find others who can
- Explain University policies and procedures
- Facilitate communication between people
- Advise individuals about steps to resolve problems informally
- Advise individuals about formal and administrative options
- Mediate disputes to seek "win-win" resolution of problems
- Make appropriate referrals when informal options don't work
- Point out patterns of problems/complaints to administrators
The Ombudsman's Office Does Not:
- Participate in formal grievance processes
- Make administrative decisions for TTU administrators
- Determine "guilt" or "innocence" of those accused of wrong-doing
- Assign sanctions to individuals
- Receive official "notice" for the university about issues