It is the goal of the Ombuds Office at the University of Wyoming to provide the university community an informal setting in which to share dilemmas, ideas, questions, without fear of exposure, retaliation, or recrimination. The office is committed to serving with the International Ombuds Association best practice principles: informal, confidential, impartial, independent. It is our mandate to give voice to the university community, and to protect those voices. We will engage and support people and divisions to improve communications and policies. Our mandate includes resolving conflict, shedding light on serious concerns, mediating, facilitating difficult conversations, giving the community tools to disagree productively, educating, and coaching. The Ombuds Office, in every instance, will advocate for fairness and equity.
We aim to provide a safe space to facilitate the process of problem-solving. We are
committed to unbiased and fair services to the University of Wyoming community.
Listen to concerns
Provide information on university policies and procedures
Provide information on how to make your concern known to the university
Assist you in evaluating available options
Provide feedback to administration when systemic issues/trends occur
Upcoming Workshops - Contact the Office for Details
How to Get Along With Anyone
Embracing Conflict: How to Have a Difficult Conversation
Rules of Engagement: Improving Office Relationships and Communications
Conflict Resolution Lending Library
Informal:
The Office of the Ombudsperson works informally to achieve fair and equitable solutions
to concerns. We are not a reporting office, and do not participate in formal investigations
or play any role in a formal resolution process.
Independent:
The University of Wyoming Office of the Ombudsperson is an independent office. This
allows individuals to come forward, be heard, and discuss issues with any department
of UW without fear of retribution. The office reports to the highest possible level
of the university. The ombudsperson exercises total discretion regarding her responsibilities.
The office is not part of and does not take part in any administrative or formal complaint
processes
Neutral or Impartial:
We utilize processes that provide fairness and equity and provide impartial resources
for the University of Wyoming community. The Ombudsperson avoids situations that may
cause or result in conflicts of interest.
Confidential:
Information concerning any inquiries will not be disclosed without explicit permission,
with the exception of a compelling reason (i.e. a safety risk). Upon request of a
complainant, the office may contact individuals within the institution whose help
is necessary to resolve a problem. The Ombudsperson does not testify in formal proceedings.
The only exception to this privilege of confidentiality is where there appears to
be an imminent risk of serious harm, and where there is no reasonable option other
than disclosure.
Nellie Haddad attended the University of California-Berkeley, where she earned a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in English literature. She was a visiting assistant professor of Shakespeare at the University of Montana, where she taught for four years. She later returned to UC-Berkeley, where she accepted the first of several administrative positions before pursuing a master’s degree in international relations from the University of South Carolina and another master’s degree in conflict resolution and mediation from Champlain College in Vermont.
Her interests included democracy, human rights and international conflict. During her studies, she interned for the U.S. Department of State at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and the Middle East Human Rights Desk. Her broad mediation and conflict resolution experience includes real estate and probate disputes, roommate and neighbor disputes, and staff and faculty conflicts. She is a member of the International Ombuds Association and continues to play an active part in that organization, seeking training and community-building opportunities.
Patricia Bradford is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a doctoral candidate in the Counselor Education & Supervision program here at UW. Originally from Baton Rouge, LA, she received both her bachelor's degree in psychology (2014) and her master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (2018) from the University of New Orleans. Patricia spent her time working as a mental health counselor primarily in the field of substance abuse treatment for several years before moving from New Orleans to Laramie in the fall of 2021 to pursue her PhD.
In addition to being the Graduate Administrative Assistant for the UW Office of the Ombudsperson, Patricia does private practice work counseling individuals, couples, and families. While Patricia's training and experience as a mental health counselor inform her interpersonal skills and understanding of how to navigate conflict, her role with the Ombuds Office is to assist the Ombudsperson in fostering resolution-finding for those seeking assistance in navigating conflict.
Keep in mind that email is not confidential, so please don't share any information
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