Office of the Ombudsperson

The University Ombudsperson reports directly to the Illinois Tech President and acts as a neutral, independent, impartial, and confidential resource for faculty and staff. The University Ombudsperson is independent of the university’s formal administrative structure and will consider all sides of an issue in an impartial manner.

The University Ombudsperson will maintain the utmost confidentiality, subject to limited exceptions, and can provide the following services:

• Act as a resource and listener for all faculty and staff
• Provide information to help faculty and staff informally navigate conflict and/or difficult conversations
• Clarify or research the right person or department to contact for addressing a concern (formally or informally)
• Provide guidance and coaching on how to effectively express concerns or manage conflict
• Mediate and facilitate discussions between individuals or teams
• Clarify policies and procedures
• Deliver training/workshops on Ombuds office services, communication strategies, conflict management, and related topics
• Report trends to the University President or senior leadership (without compromising anonymity of visitors) 

The University Ombudsperson cannot provide legal advice; conduct formal investigations; participate in formal processes, or create/change rules, policies, or procedures.  We do not retain notes or records of visits/visitors, other than general information for tracking trends.

Please contact the University Ombudsperson at universityombudsperson@illinoistech.edu to schedule a virtual meeting if you would like to discuss a concern or seek information or support. To protect confidentiality, please do not attach or include details of your concern in the email.

We operate under the International Ombuds Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

You can learn more about University Ombudsperson Marsha Ross-Jackson here.