A Message from the Ombudsman’s Office about Returning to Campus
The Office of the University Ombudsman is a welcoming and safe place to bring your concerns, evaluate your situation, organize your thoughts, and identify your options. The Office operates with strict confidentiality and keeps no records identifying visitors. The Ombudsman does not get involved in or report to any formal processes or conduct formal investigations. The Ombudsman is independent and impartial. All of the Ombudsman's services and guidance are available to faculty, staff, students, and anyone else who has a concern that is related to Binghamton University.
We observe the regular office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the academic year and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the intersessions.
The University Ombudsman will meet with you in person, by telephone, or via Zoom. She can also schedule appointments outside of the above hours with advance notice and meet with you in a confidential location off campus if meeting on campus does not work for you.
To make an appointment, please call our office at 607-777-2388 and leave a voicemail with your name and the best phone number by which to contact you. If the telephone is not an option, please email our office at ombudsman@binghamton.edu but we kindly ask that you do not email us any specific information about your concern including bcc's, cc's, or forwards of other emails with information related to your concern.
At its most basic level, the Office of the Ombudsman is a safe place to voice your concerns, evaluate your situation, organize your thoughts and identify your options. The office operates with strict confidentiality and keeps no records identifying visitors. It can be a good first step if you don't know where else to turn or how to proceed.
Serving as Binghamton University's designated neutral, the University Ombudsman's primary responsibility is to provide independent, confidential, informal and impartial assistance to the campus community. The University Ombudsman assists individuals and groups in the management of conflict and the resolution of problems. Collaborative dispute resolution is encouraged whenever possible and mediation services are available on request.
The University Ombudsman is an advocate for fairness and equity, and does not take sides on behalf of any individual or cause. While maintaining impartiality, the University Ombudsman regularly makes recommendations to University officials regarding policies, practices and procedures.
The University Ombudsman provides assistance through informal means only. As an independent, neutral, confidential and informal resource, the Office of the University Ombudsman does not accept legal notice for Binghamton University. If you wish to go on record about a problem or put the University on notice, the University Ombudsman can offer information on how to do so. The University Ombudsman also provides referrals to other offices and services that may help you address your concern.
International Ombudsman Association
The Office of the University Ombudsman operates according to the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, and serves all members of the Binghamton University community, including the Research Foundation. Individuals who visit the Office of the Ombudsman are advised of these Standards of Practice and considered to have agreed to the tenets therein. As a result, visitors acknowledge and accept that the Ombudsman will not disclose or keep records of individually identifiable information or testify at or participate in any formal proceeding.
