Appointment Advice

Walk Through of an 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. Make an appointment.

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. Meet our staff.

While each appointment varies significantly from one another, 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. Appointments are driven by questions that are asked by the case manager to gather some more information. Commonly asked questions are…

Has anything changed since you’ve last completed the in-take form?
Have you considered X,Y,Z University policies?
Is there any communication that you’ve had regarding this issue that you can share with us?
How long have you been experiencing these concerns?
What steps have you taken to seek a resolution to your concerns?
Can you provide a general timeline of the events that lead to this situation?

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 instructors 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 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. Please make sure you give yourself the appropriate amount of time to get to the office when making your appointment. If you cannot make it to your appointment on time, please reschedule with a case manager whose schedule matches your availability.
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 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.
- 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.
See a description of academic and non-academic processes that are commonly suggested in our appointments.
Be cognizant of dates and deadlines that might be relevant to your concerns.
- We are always happy to explain and provide these 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.
- Visit the academic calendar that illustrates all dates and deadlines for the current semester.
Be sure to connect the calendar with your EMU Google calendar so you are up to date on the latest deadlines!
Understand that while we will do everything we can to help you, you are a key member to this process and 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 enough 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.