The Office of the Ombudsperson provides informal conflict resolution to help students, staff and faculty deal with questions or problems. The office is:

  • Confidential. We will not share any information you give us with anyone outside the Office of the Ombudsperson without your permission. The only exceptions are when we become aware of possible physical harm to someone or when a court orders the office to provide information.
  • Impartial. We don’t advocate for individuals but help everyone involved in a situation reach a solution that works for them.
  • Informal. We help people resolve issues early and directly. We don’t get involved in grievance procedures or legal proceedings.
  • Independent. We operate independently from university administration.

How can we help? We can:

  • Help visitors figure out their options.
  • Provide information on policies and procedures.
  • Refer to other resources when necessary.
  • Contact the other people involved to gather more information.
  • Help to work out solutions through negotiation, mediation, or facilitated discussions.

The Ombudsperson may be contacted at any point in a situation and can offer guidance when visitors do not know where to begin to address a problem, when sensitive issues are involved, or as a last resort, when other channels haven’t worked.

Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. We encourage appointments, but phone calls, emails, letters, and drop-ins are welcome. Our phone number is 319-335-3608, and our email address is ombudsperson@uiowa.edu. We are located on the Third Floor of the Jefferson Building at 129 E. Jefferson Building. Please visit our website at https://ombudsperson.org.uiowa.edu for more information about our office.