IOA was once again a sponsor of the Clery Center's annual National Campus Safety Awareness Month's Summit on September 10, 2025. The Clery Center provides technical assistance and advocacy on campus security issues and helps educate stakeholders around the Campus Security Authority (CSA) designation. Being named a CSA could impact an ombuds' ability to maintain confidentiality around campus security issues. This sponsorship provides IOA with an opportunity to explain our work, define how ombuds fit into the campus ecosystem, and to educate that ombud who practice to standards do not need to be designated as CSAs.
Sarah Klaper, Immediate Past President and University Ombudsperson at Northwestern University, joined me in this effort. Below is an excerpt from our introductory comments that we hope may be useful to you in your education of your offices.
You may have the word Ombuds but may not know how they may fit into your campus ecosystem or how they relate to this upcoming session.
Ombuds are a critical and impartial component to any broader conflict management system. They help organizations mitigate risk by creating a confidential and informal option for students, faculty and/or staff to raise concerns, safely navigate conflict, and manage change.
It is because we are confidential and an off the record resource that we are able to learn about issues that would typically not surface on their own. So how do we fit in a conflict management system? Ombuds who comply with Standards of Practice:
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Create a safe space for someone who needs to unpack an issue or concern
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Demystify policies - as it can be confusing for students to know where to start
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Empower those who come to see them using a variety of conflict resolution skills, techniques, and trainings
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Strengthen the conflict management system by increasing trust
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Compliment formal channels like HR, compliance, safety, and legal
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Support Threat Assessment Teams and work behind the scenes during times of heightened alert
Equally important is what ombuds don’t do:
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We don’t conduct investigations, Institute corrective measures or have significant responsibilities for student activities
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Because we are independent and confidential, we do not Act as an Office of Notice and this is addressed on our websites, and in each of our meetings.
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We don’t use confidentiality as a shield - rather, we use it as a tool to help organizations identify areas that need to be bolstered or changed.
Every day, students come to meet with ombuds to share their concerns. Some of their concerns are about fear of not understanding what happens when they think they may want to file a formal complaint, so we spend time going over that and without putting the organization on notice.
Sometimes, we walk them to the campus security offices, or to the Title IX office.
Sometimes, their concern is around conflict with a fellow student, professor or student organization so we coach them on how to address it in a healthy and constructive way that helps all involved.Sometimes, we work behind the scenes. Sometimes we are given permission by the student to raise the concern directly with you.
We also work closely with HR, general counsel’s office, dean of student services, and campus safety offices.
We all are in service to our organizations, and although we do our work differently, our goal is the same: help our organizations respond where response is needed and be focused on their mission.
Members have access to these slides we developed and posted to CommUnity. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.