When should I contact the Ombuds?

Contact the Ombuds Office when:

• You need an impartial and confidential sounding board.
• You think you may have been treated unfairly.
• You want to report a problem but first you want to get a sense of possible outcomes.
• You want to discuss a University policy or practice that you think is unfair or problematic.
• You’ve been through a formal grievance and you think procedural errors were made.
• You are not sure how to interpret a University policy or procedure.
• You are not sure which University policy applies to your situation.
• You need a mediator or a facilitator.
• You are not sure where else to turn for help and need guidance.

Any type of University-related concern may be brought to the Ombuds Office by any member of the BU community.  Here are examples of common problems the ombuds handles:

• Requests for clarification of a policy or process.
• Help dealing with interpersonal conflicts.
• Help dealing with concerns about unethical, uncivil, or inappropriate behavior.
• Help dealing with concerns about of financial malfeasance.
• Questions about health and life safety.
• Concerns about office politics, workplace climate, and work equity.
• Questions about intellectual property.
• Guidance on how to have difficult conversations and communicate respectfully.
• Problems with institutional non-responsiveness and red-tape.
• Concerns about procedural fairness or due process.