Your Interim Ombudsperson

The Interim Ombudsperson is a distinguished faculty who can facilitate informal conflict resolution at the request of faculty members. This individual provides advice and may serve as an informal mediator if the faculty member has not yet initiated an appeal. The Ombudsperson's primary role is to support fair practices and mutual respect. The functions of the Ombudsperson are described in, Chapter Five, Section 2, of the UT Faculty Handbook.

Faculty who may find themselves in need of consultation and advice are encouraged to contact the Interim Ombudsperson.

UT Ombudsperson Selection Criteria

Required Criteria:

• Tenured Associate or Full Professor
• Five years or more of service at UT
• Clearly demonstrated professional experience or training in mediation, conflict resolution, counseling, or administrative supervision.
• Demonstrable knowledge of UT Faculty Evaluation Manual and UT Faculty Handbook.
• Strong interpersonal skills and verbal/written communication skills.
• Experience in handling confidential matters.

Preferred Criteria:

• Tenured Full Professor or Professor Emeritus or Emerita^*
• Significant experience or training in mediation, conflict resolution, counseling, or administrative supervision.
• Prior experience with university grievance procedures such as service on the UT Faculty Senate's Faculty Affairs or Faculty Appeals Committee.
  

Notes:

*Candidates who hold the rank of professor emeritus or emerita may bring to the position objectivity, independence, and institutional perspective unavailable to candidates who continue to hold tenure within a department and college.