Appointment Advice for the Ombuds
What to Expect During Your Appointment
Welcome to the Office of the Ombuds! Here, you will have the opportunity to share your voice on conflicts and/or concerns that may be affecting your success as you move forward throughout your academic career. We are happy that you have chosen to take the first step in seeking a resolution to your concern(s) by making an appointment with our office. If you have not already made an appointment, you can do so by clicking the "Book An Appointment" button on the right side of this page.
You are not alone if you feel you do not know what to expect when it comes to having an appointment with an Ombudsman. We hope this page can clarify some information and make you feel more comfortable and confident coming in to speak with one of our case managers. Visit our Meet The Ombuds Team page if you would like to learn about our staff and even learn more about who you may be speaking with during your appointment!
While each appointment varies significantly from one another based on the concerns/issues individuals are experiencing, there are some general steps that we go through to ensure that we have obtained enough information to provide direction and the next course of action. Many times this involves asking questions that are designed to help us gather more information. A few commonly asked questions may include:
- Has anything changed since you last provided our office with information via your appointment questionnaire?
- Can you provide a general timeline of the events that lead to this situation?
- What steps have you taken to seek a resolution to your concerns?
- How long have you been experiencing these concerns?
- Is there any communication that you’ve had regarding this issue that you can share with us?
- Have you considered X,Y,Z University policies?
If this is your first appointment with us, many times we may need to have a follow-up appointment or send a follow-up email that contains important information regarding your concerns. First appointments are a great way to gather all the information that we need to assist you in the most effective, efficient, and productive way possible.
In the case that we need to reach out to other offices or individuals at the University after your appointment, we will let you know. Responses from these outside parties may take some time but we are always doing our best to make sure that we reach out to you with an update as soon as we have answers of our own. If you feel that a significant amount of time has passed and you have not received an update, always feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] .
How to Prepare For Your Appointment
We kindly ask that you be on time for your appointment. This ensures that we are able to give you our full attention for the complete duration of your scheduled appointment time, as well as ensures that we can respect the time of other visitors that have scheduled appointments before or after yours. If you cannot make it to your appointment on time, please feel free to reschedule your appointment with a case manager via the confirmation email you were originally sent, calling or emailing our office, or using the "Book An Appointment" button on the right side of this page.
The most important thing to be prepared with at the time of your appointment is open and honest answers. We want you to know that we are here to help you and the best way that we can do that is if we know the full scope of the situation.
Gather any and all information that might support your reason for concerns and share this information with us at your appointment. A few examples include:
- Medical documentation, letters of accommodation, course syllabus/policies etc.
- Feel free to forward us emails that show any efforts of communication to the outside party.
Be open to resolutions you may not have considered before.
Be cognizant of dates and deadlines that might be relevant to your concerns
- During your appointment we will explain and provide pertinent deadlines in detail, but being aware of them ahead of time may be essential to your situation as well as the remainder of your time here at EMU.
Understand that while we will do everything we can to help you, you yourself are a key member to this process and are a part of the team that will assist you in coming to the resolution you are seeking.
Be aware that while we will do our best to help in any way that we can, there are times where we have exhausted all options available and the resolution you are seeking may not be possible.
- Our office is here to assist you in navigating that situation. Bumps in the road throughout your academic career are common and should not be a reason for discouragement. We can help you get through it while continuing to be successful.
Lastly, know that we are here to help you and hope that you feel comfortable to be open with us. While at first we may be strangers, each member of our office has the responsibility to help you in any and all ways that we can.
