Fast on the heels of the end of September, the Ombuds Office has issued its quarterly report covering the third quarter of 2023, a busy and productive time for the office.

The Ombuds Office continued to offer workshops and presentations to a variety of groups on conflict management and communication topics. Although the subject matter differs, each workshop is highly interactive, with ample space to discuss the material and put it to work through role play scenarios. Workshops are usually in person, though they can be adapted for remote presentation if necessary. In any event, the goal is to share information and facilitate interaction among all participants.

In addition to being relatively engaging and fun, Ombuds Office workshops—no matter the topic or length—are, for all UNLV groups, completely free. We also take pride in customizing the session to fit the group, incorporating specially-tailored scenarios and discussion points.

We also conducted outreach activities, tabling at events like New Student Orientation and the Fall Involvement Fair, as well as presenting at August’s New Faculty Orientation. Our goal is to raise awareness of the Ombuds Office and spread the word about what it does.

All that outreach has resulted in significantly higher usage of the office. Through the third quarter of 2022, the Ombuds Office had 441 contacts, or meetings with individuals. For that same period in 2023, the Office had 527 contacts—a 20 percent increase. Since the fourth quarter of 2022, the number of contacts per quarter has increase significantly.

Those who visit the Ombuds Office reflect the diversity of the UNLV community. Administrative faculty represented 23 percent of total visitors, the highest proportion of any group, although academic faculty were just behind them at 22 percent. Academic faculty leadership (defined as department chairs, assistant/associate deans, and deans) tallied 21 percent of all visits, followed by classified staff and 12 percent and administrative leaders (directors, vice presidents, etc.) at 8 percent. Students (undergraduate, graduate, and professional), temporary employees, and community members made up the balance of the total.

From these numbers, it seems that the Ombuds Office has done well in marketing itself to UNLV employees, while students may not be completely aware of what exactly the office does. It will be interesting to see if student visitation rises after several semesters of tabling at events and other outreach activities.

When looking at visitation trends along demographic lines, there is a notable gender gap; while about 53 percent of all UNLV employees are women, 65 percent of visitors to the Ombuds Office are, with men at 33 percent and identifying in neither category at 2 percent. Racial patterns roughly mirrored UNLV employees as a whole, with 53 percent of visitors identifying as White, 17 percent as Black, 20 percent as “Other,” and 10 percent Asian/Pacific Islander. In addition, 19 percent identified themselves as being of Hispanic ethnicity.

Continuing the post-lockdown trend, the majority of meetings (60 percent) happened in person, with 26 percent remote (usually Google Meet or Zoom) and 15 percent split between phone, email, and chat. Generally, email and chat are not suitable for a confidential discussion, and any conversation there is limited to sharing links to resources. Students are more likely than employees to prefer remote meetings, though it’s hard to say whether this is a generational phenomenon or just scheduling.

I like to say that I give visitors as much time as they need, and that is the case; a few meetings were as short as 15 minutes, with slightly more at a half-hour. Nearly all meetings with visitors clock in at about one hour, although looking at the stats I had meetings that lasted as long as three hours. Generally, 60-90 minutes seems to be about as much time as most people need for a single meeting. If someone hasn’t discussed everything they would like, they are encouraged to make a follow-up.

The issues that visitors share continue to be dominated by communication—71 percent of contacts had communications with a supervisor or peer as a topic. Respect and treatment by supervisors was also a major (25 percent) issue. Concerns about the quality of services delivered by UNLV or its affiliates were raised in 14 percent of contacts, with concerns about performance evaluation and career progression tied at 10 percent. Other top issues included department climate, retaliation, interdepartmental conflict, scheduling, supervisory priorities, and compensation/benefits.

Looking back at the quarter, I feel compelled to talk a bit about what actually goes on at those individual meetings. As an organizational ombuds, I serve a specific role on campus. Generally, I speak with people who feel they have been treated unfairly, pointing them towards available resources, sharing with them any relevant policies or procedural guidelines, and discussing with them the range of options they have available. At the absolute worst, they spent some time speaking with someone who listened judgmentally while they talked it out; at best, they left with a renewed sense of confidence and a better understanding of their options.

While the workshops and other group activities are important, individual consultations remain the core focus of the Ombuds Office. As those who attended the recent Ombuds Open House saw, we strive to maintain a positive, inclusive atmosphere in the office to encourage visitors to feel at their best during what is, most likely, a stressful time for them. And, as I often say, if you are having an issue and don’t know where to go or what to do, the Ombuds Office is a great place to start.

For all students, faculty members, or other UNLV employees, the Ombuds Office has many resources available to help you through any conflict or communication issue you might be facing. If you are having an issue and are uncertain where to go, it is an excellent zero-barrier first stop. You have nothing to lose and quite a bit to gain.

If you would like to talk off-the-record and confidentially about any work- or campus-related concern, please make an appointment with the Ombuds. Our door is always open.

David G. Schwartz

UNLV Ombuds