Why Should Faculty, Staff and Administrators Visit?

University of Tennessee Chattanooga faculty, staff and administrators can benefit from the Ombuds Office in many ways, including assistance in dealing with conflicts with colleagues or supervisors, communication problems and questions about what options are available for handling a workplace problem. Other reasons for visiting the Ombuds include:

• When you believe you have been treated unfairly.
• When you do not know which Regulation, Policy, or procedure might apply in your situation.
• When you have been unsuccessful in resolving a problem.
• When you need help navigating workplace concerns.
• When you need help facilitating communication.
• When you are unsure of where to go or what options exist to solve a problem at USF.
• When you believe a Regulation, Policy or procedure has been unfairly or wrongly applied.

Communications with the Ombuds are confidential to the extent permissible by law and are considered off-the-record. The Ombuds is not authorized to accept notice of claims against UTC.  Anyone wishing to give the University notice of claims against it must contact one of the University's formal channels authorized to receive such notice. The Ombuds can discuss how you may access one of these formal channels but does not participate in any formal proceeding, including serving as a witness or producing documents with respect to confidential communications.