- Spring Break, Schedules, and SilosIt’s spring break, but that might not mean anything to you. Which makes me think of the many calendars we use on campus, and how that highlights the diversity of programs, jobs, and experiences at UNLV—or any major university. First, we have the standard calendar. That’s the one that starts on January 1, ends on December 31, and holds a succession of federal holidays, as well as a state…
- When No News Is Bad NewsEveryone who visits the Ombuds Office to discuss a concern is unique, with responsibilities, experiences, and aspirations that they share with no one else. Yet certain patterns emerge. In 2022, 38 percent of visitors to the office had issues surrounding communication with a supervisor. That’s why I have dedicated myself to leading workshops touching on a range of topics from thoughtful…
- One Question That Might Make the Supervisors’ Big Game a Bit BetterWith the NFL’s big game just behind us, many on campus are turning to their next big battle, challenge, or opportunity (depending on the context): the annual evaluation, or as I like to imagine it, the yearly Big Game for supervisors. For academic and administrative faculty, due dates for our yearly Rite of Winter are rapidly approaching. While you can find accurate guides to the nuts and…
- UNLV Ombuds Office 2022 Annual Report ReleasedIt’s with deep satisfaction that I unveil the annual report charting the progress of UNLV’s Ombuds Office in calendar 2022. Before you read the entire report, you may want to look at a few of its highlights, as well as my thoughts on what they mean. The annual report gives me and Ombuds Office Program Manager Tifara Rachal a chance to reflect on the work we have done and what we would…
- Involvement Fair: Outreach with an Unexpected BenefitThis has been a busy season at the Ombuds Office. I had originally planned to publish a post discussing the release of our 2022 annual report (indeed, it is mostly written), but due to a high level of volume of visitors and other work over the past week, the report isn’t ready to be released just yet. So instead, I would like to take a few minutes to share our experiences at the…
- Leading by Listening: A Big Band Jazz OdysseyOver the past few weeks, I have been prepping a new Honors seminar about jazz history, which has let me become more acquainted with music that I have long adored. It also offered me some insights that I can deploy in my day job as Ombuds, via the opportunity to critically consider differing styles of leadership and collaboration by bandleaders. Given the Ombuds Office’s emphasis on…
- Reviewing Your Year: Wrapping Up, Looking AheadThe semester is over. All of the students who were going to walk across the stage at Winter 2022 Commencement have done it and started their next chapter. The days are short, but just getting longer. All this means one thing: We are about to say goodbye to 2022. In the past few years, there has been an upswing in app-driven reflecting on what you accomplished or consumed over the past 12…
- Why, What, How: Three Questions We Need to Answer about Culture ChangeAs we hurtle toward the end of the semester, people are busy, but I would like to take a moment to share something that should be timely. My most recent post, on how Mary Rowe’s concept of microaffirmations might have a place in shifting culture, generated more interest than anything I have written in this space yet. It’s just anecdotal, but people all over campus have let me know that…
- Changing Our Culture, One Step at a TimeLately, I have been speaking with many folks on campus about our culture and how to change it for the better. I alluded to this in my last post, which posited that the grass isn’t necessarily greener anywhere else. Wherever you might end up, you will likely face obstacles to your happiness. And here, at least you don’t have to worry about being snowed in during the winter, so for most of…
- Is the Grass Really Greener?As part of my drive to be the best ombuds for UNLV that I can (and, I won’t deny it, because they are extremely interesting people), I’ve cultivated as many opportunities as I can to speak with ombuds at other colleges, laboratories, and universities. I’m writing about this today because I spent time last week at my first in-person gathering of ombuds. Getting to relate with my peers…
- Just Released! Ombuds Office 2022 Third Quarterly ReportLast week, the Ombuds Office released its third quarterly report, which contains a wealth of information about the work the office has been doing in recent months. The most basic question the report answers is, “Is the office getting used?” The response is a definitive “yes.” From July 1 to September 30, 2022, the Ombuds had 137 contacts, or meetings, with 94 unique visitors. Year to…
- Why Not the Visit the Ombuds?Ombuds Week, which UNLV celebrated two weeks ago, provided many opportunities for members of the campus community to engage with the Ombuds Office. Whether it was at our Difficult Conversations roleplay workshop or with our Escape Room, students, faculty, and staff got to learn more about healthy ways to resolve conflict. They also got to see that the office and its resources are open to…