Meet our ombuds in person, in Zoom, or on the phone!
The Office of Ombuds Services is a voluntary resource available to help graduate students, staff, and faculty address any challenge they face at UT – big or small.
UT Ombuds provide a welcoming space where you can speak freely and feel safe discussing the challenges you face at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Visit the ombuds about
- Feeling stuck or unsure what to do
- Improving effective communication
- Graduate advisor/committee dynamics
- Instructor, advisor, or supervisor relations
- Performance evaluations & expectations
- Bias, inequity, & microaggressions
- Relationships with colleagues & peers
- Career progression & transition
- Misconduct & inappropriate behavior
- Health, safety, & working conditions
Ombuds can help you by
- Providing a safe & non-judgmental space
- Acting as a neutral sounding-board
- Exploring & testing options
- Fact finding & gathering information
- Clarifying policies & procedures
- Making referrals to helpful resources
- Providing communication coaching
- Advocating for fair processes
- Mediating conversations between parties
- Facilitating educational programming
- Providing follow-up training supports
*The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Office of Ombuds Services operates under the principles of the International Ombuds Association (https://ioa.memberclicks.net/standards-of-practice-code-of-ethics), including the core values of independence, impartiality, informality, and confidentiality. The ombuds is a purely voluntary resource for you; you choose when you want to work with us. This means that you may share information with the ombuds without initiating any formal university process. The ombuds does not routinely keep records of information that you share. When you decide to work with an ombuds, you agree to the principles under which the Office operates. This means that the Ombuds will not appear as a witness in a proceeding internal to the university. Statements made or information provided to a member of the ombuds office do not constitute notice to the university of any potential claim or concern.
