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Ombudsperson

I serve as faculty ombudsperson at my university (Elon) but the title of this post refers to another ombudsperson, Jim Huegerich (for the town of Chapel Hill, NC) who passed away recently. His website gives a nicely detailed description of his work in that setting, that I wanted to share. I've been seeing testimonials since his passing to the warmth and compassion he brought to the job, definitely a role model for me.

Why Ombuds?

The Ombuds Office helps residents, visitors,  and Town employees navigate their experience of living and working in Chapel Hill. We do this by helping people tell their story in a way that it can be heard, and by identifying options, strategies and resources that help people thrive.  We want to hear from you if you have an idea that would be helpful to the Town, or if you have an issue or concern that you want to discuss.    

Ombud’s Role

The Ombuds will provide a safe place for anyone  to share their concerns and explore strategies for CONFIDENTIAL, informal management or resolution of issues and matters.  We provide  a  safe environment  for you to discuss  delicate questions and difficult issues in an informal, secure,  and discreet manner.

 How we can help you help yourself:

  • Role-play through a situation
  • Provide training about difficult issues
  • Provide information, assistance and referrals
  • Help analyze complex and difficult problems
  • Explore non-adversarial approaches for resolving concerns  
  • Help you get an  explanation or clarification of polices and procedures
  • Offer a confidential, informal sounding board
  • Address issues at the most appropriate level

Ombuds benefit the community by:

  • Providing Town leadership with general information regarding community interests and  concerns,  while maintaining the confidentiality of our visitors. 
  • Providing  training and meeting facilitation
  • Connecting people to community resources
  • Empowering community members to confidently engage with their local government

Ombuds don't:

  • Take sides in a dispute    
  • Conduct formal investigations
  • Serve as a witness or testify in a formal proceeding
  • Accept or provide official notice of an alleged violation
  • Make any decisions for you
  • Offer legal advice
  • Provide counseling or case management
  • Share your information with anyone
  • Force you to do anything

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