Stockton University Ombuds Office Annual Report FY 2023-24*

Karen A. Reardon, PhD, JD

Introduction+

I began serving as University Ombuds Officer on December 4, 2023 during fiscal year 2023-2024 following an 18 month period in which the University did not employ an ombuds officer.

The Stockton Ombuds Office plays an important role for faculty and staff who seek a safe place to speak freely about concerns they have and challenges they face as members of the University community. When individuals bring problems to the Ombuds Office, I share office protocols and work to understand their frustrations and the circumstances that bring them to the office. We explore the various options that exist through information gathering and coaching. I often refer visitors to specific University policies and internal resources, and to external resources when appropriate. One of the most effective strategies I use to resolve challenging situations is to serve as a neutral intermediary between parties who wish to discuss issues, concerns, and conflicts, either by facilitating conversation or through shuttle diplomacy whereby I act as a conduit between parties who are unable or do not wish to communicate directly. All interaction with the Ombuds Office is fully voluntary and discussions are confidential, No action is taken without a visitor’s permission. Table 1 elaborates on the nature of the services offered.

The Year in Review

Stockton resumed operation of its Ombuds Office in December 2023 so this annual report reflects only 7 months of activity. Most initial outreach occurred using email. The majority of visitors met with the Ombuds Officer in person though some asked to connect remotely.

Visitors remarked that they reached out after reviewing the Ombuds Office web page, at the suggestion of a colleague, or as a result of outreach made by the Ombuds Officer at employee orientations, meetings such as those convened by the faculty and staff senates or unions, individual departments, committees and the Ombuds Office itself.

During the FY 2023-2024, 43 individuals approached the Ombuds Office about their concerns; the Ombuds Office interfaced with others involved for a total of 96 meetings with individuals in connection with those 43 cases. In addition, the Ombuds Office conducted 3 work group facilitations each involving 5-9 persons. Non-faculty union staff accounted for the largest proportion of visitors (37+%), followed by leadership (President's and Provosts' Offices, VPs, Deans) (23+%), non-union management (21+%), faculty (16+%), and student workers (<1%). See Table 2. Visitors to the office come from all parts of the employee community. Table 3 shows the breakdown of visitors by affiliation to the University.

The Ombuds Office records the nature of issues brought forward using broad categories employed in the ombuds community to facilitate comparisons over time. The most frequent issues raised pertain to personal behavior (abusive, abrasive, and inappropriate conduct; discrimination; sexual harassment) accounting for 37% of cases, followed closely by general employment-related issues (procedures, benefits, compensation, promotions, and matters of a more general nature), accounting for 35% of total issues cases. See Table 4.

My analysis identified some consistent themes:

• Microaggressions, bullying, and inappropriate or abusive behavior are frequently reported. It is essential for behavioral expectations to be consistently modeled by leaders consistent with the aspirational culture of care and dignity leadership model. Additionally, University-wide in-person training that addresses toxic work environments, sexual misconduct, discrimination, and microaggressions should be developed, presented, and in some circumstances mandated.
• Visitors report that supervisors are neglecting the duty to supervise where corrective action is needed. I learned that Stockton did not have any training for supervisors as to how to engage in performance management or progressive discipline. Further, visitors are complaining that supervisors, to hold onto power, are not allowing them to do material parts of their jobs by withholding access to data, information, or training. These concerns largely come from newer highly qualified employees with work experience obtained outside of Stockton. They report that the institution is at risk when supervisors are the only people who know how to perform a particular critical function. Given the increasing demand for training to address these issues, I have partnered with HR to explore possibilities for such training. The University might consider additional material investments in staff to support such this training/development.
• A comprehensive review of policies, related responsive practices, and staffing, particularly in the area of human resources should be undertaken to streamline policies and procedures so that they are capable of being executed as written and in a timely fashion or retired and replaced as appropriate.

The Ombuds Office is located in L208. It can be reached by email at ombuds@stockton.edu. Please consult the webpage for more information about the office and its activities. I respond to inquiries quickly, and encourage anyone experiencing difficulties related to their work as a member of the Stockton community to contact the Ombuds Office. All outreach to the Ombuds Office is confidential except in the matters involving child abuse, threat of imminent harm and violations of court order which the Ombuds Officer has a duty to report.

*As a reminder, this data is for 7 months only because the Ombuds Office was not staffed for part of the fiscal year. Because individual visitors at times raise more than one issue, the total number of visitor issues (94) is greater than the total number of visitors who initiated matters during this period (43).

+This report was built on a template and report created by, and liberally uses language of, University of Pennsylvania Ombuds Dr. Jennifer Pinto-Martin.