• Provide a neutral, safe and confidential environment to talk
  
  
• Listen to concerns and complaints and discusses appropriate options
  
  
• Help to evaluate those options
  
  
• Assist students in resolving problems
  
  
• Mediate conflicts, convenes meetings, engages in "shuttle diplomacy"
  
  
• Refer students to appropriate campus resources
  
  
• Provide information about university resources
  
  

• Adjudicate or participate in formal university grievance processes
  
  
• Determine guilt of any party in a dispute
  
  
• Get involved in any formal litigation or testify in court
  
  
• Provide legal advice
  
  
• Assign sanctions to individuals
  
  
• Replace any official university office, department or process
  
  
• Keep records of students and/or conversations

Examples of Services Provided by Ombudsperson

• Helps resolve or mediate a dispute with an individual or group.
  
  
• Helps decide how to approach a person who you think is causing a problem.
  
  
• Discusses how to approach a fellow student who has made an offensive or insensitive comment.
  
  
• Assists when you are uncertain what Duke policies or procedures apply to your situation.
  
  
• Assists when you don't know what individual or university department is appropriate to go to for an answer to a specific question or to obtain a particular service.
  
  
• Helps when you feel as if you have been unfairly treated by anyone on campus.
  
  
• Engages in "shuttle diiplomacy" to solve a problem between you and a student/employee.
  
  
• Helps you evaluate and select among a variety of options to address a concern with a fellow student or department.
  
  
• Helps resolve or mediate a non-grade or non-evaluation related dispute with a faculty member.

Notice to the Ombudsperson does not constitute notice to the institution with regard to grievances or complaints.