Services
Individual Meeting
If you are having an experience where you are not sure what to do next reach out to us for help and support. We offer coaching and guidance that aim to empower you to think through the best way to navigate the situation and develop strategies to move forward.
In an individual meeting, an Ombuds will work with you to:
- Better understand the situation and the options possible
- Offer a neutral and impartial perspective
- Develop strategies to address concerns in a way that feels most comfortable to you
- Share communication and conflict management tools and techniques
- Identify campus policies, offices, and resources that might be helpful to you
All meetings are voluntary and confidential.
Facilitated Dialogue
A facilitated dialogue is an informal, voluntary, confidential facilitated discussion involving two or more participants in a conflict. The purpose of mediation is to give the parties involved an opportunity to reach a greater understanding of the underlying issues and work toward a resolution.
In a facilitated dialogue:
- Ombuds help participants in their preparation for the conversations as well as design and facilitate the dialogue process.
- Participants develop shared understanding of their experiences and create mutually agreeable ways forward together.
- The process works best when participants are open to possibilities, empathic, and listen to each other’s perspectives and experiences.
Training
The Ombuds Office offers training programs designed to help improve conflict management and communication skills, build trust and team cohesion. Please reach out to us to learn more.
Compassionate Communication, is a style of communication that allows us to learn to hear others feelings and needs and communicate our own. A training program developed in the Ombuds Office with KU’s Human Resources, is an important resource for the KU Community.
For more information on KU’s Compassionate Communication Training Course see Training
