Welcome to the Ombuds Office: Where listening leads the way

By Jill Y. Crainshaw, University Ombuds

Universities are places of learning and growth for students, faculty, and staff. In the daily rhythms of campus life, voices and stories intersect in countless ways. Creative wisdom and life-shaping insights often emerge at these intersections. Sometimes, creativity births gifts of discovery. At other times—and sometimes at the same time—tensions arise. 

As an ombuds, I work to create space for people who encounter the tensions and uncertainties that can accompany learning and discovery. 

The Wake Forest Ombuds Office is a place set apart, a confidential, impartial, independent, and informal space where people can express concerns, voice questions, and explore healthy responses. 

What is the role of the ombuds in this space? I think of the ombuds office as a kind of threshold–a meeting ground between conflict and clarity, uncertainty and resolution, impossibility and possibilities. My aim as ombuds is to listen with care and respect the dignity of each conversation partner. The ombuds doesn’t decide or direct but instead journeys with people as together we untangle challenges and discern next steps. In this way, ombuds work, rather than providing answers, helps individuals and groups discover their own paths forward. 

If you find yourself unsure where to turn, know that in the Ombuds Office, listening is the first step, conversations are held with care, and resolution is not a demand but a journey. 

I look forward to opportunities for us to learn and discover together at this threshold. The door is open. Welcome.