Ethical Principals
Four key principles guide our exercise of integrity and ethical behavior: independence, neutrality, confidentiality, and informality. The ombudsman fosters respect for all members of the university community and promotes fairness in the content and administration of the university practices, processes, and policies.
The ombudsman is independent in function, and appearance to the highest degree possible within the university.
The ombudsman is a designated neutral party. The ombudsman avoids any situation which would create a conflict of interest.
The ombudsman holds all communications with those seeking assistance in strict confidence and does not disclose confidential communications unless given express permission to do so. The only exceptions to this privilege of confidentiality are (1) when there appears to be an imminent risk of serious harm to another person, including a child or protected adult; or (2) when an office staff member observes a crime.
The ombudsman is an informal resource and does not participate in any formal adjudicative or administrative procedure regarding the concerns brought to his or her attention.
For more information, please visit http://www.ombudsassociation.org/standards/Code_Ethics_1-07.pdf