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The Office of the Ombuds is a resource for the UCSB community when a campus member needs assistance to resolve conflicts, disputes, or complaints on an informal basis.  The Office of the Ombuds adheres to the standards of practice for ombuds as described by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA).  These four standards are essential to the ombuds profession and guide the work of the Office:

Confidentiality

• Maintains strict confidentiality to the extent permitted by the law
• Only exception to this confidentiality is when the Office determines that an imminent threat of serious harm exists; this determination will be made at the sole discretion of the Office
• Confidentiality cannot be “waived” by users of the Office because the privilege of confidentiality belongs to the Office and not to the users of the Office
• Does not keep records other than aggregate statistical summaries
• Not a place of notice or “record keeper” for the University
  
  

 Impartiality

• Works to promote fair and equitable processes
• Does not advocate for any party or for the University in a dispute
  
  

Informality

• Facilitates communication and provides the opportunity for informal dispute resolution
• Does not participate in any formal processes
• Does not makes decisions or issue judgments
  
  

Independence

• Not an office of notice to the University about the existence of a problem
• Office reports to the Executive Vice Chancellor for budgetary and administrative purposes

These tenets are absolute and non-negotiable, and belong to the Office of the Ombuds rather than the user of the Office.