The Office of the Ombuds Is Here to Support You and Your Students!

As the new semester begins, we want to assure you that the Office of the Ombuds is here to support you. If faculty/staff, administrators, students or affiliates of Northern Virginia Community College are reluctant to formally report any of the following situations, the Office of the Ombuds can serve as a confidential, neutral and independent resource:

• Student issues (e.g., unethical behavior, violation of College policies/procedures).
• Claims of workplace misconduct/prohibited conduct (including but not limited to bullying; abuse of power; harassment; discrimination; retaliation; and disruptive behaviors in the workplace such as rudeness, unethical behavior, or gossiping).
• Policy/procedure concerns or violations (e.g., safety/health, misuse of state equipment, potential conflict of interest violations).  
• Problems or concerns to the attention of the immediate supervisor as a probationary or new employee when you aren’t sure if you have all the facts.

When you find yourself seeking informal guidance, assistance with navigating NOVA procedures, or further information on formal reporting processes and external resources that can help you make an informed decision, the Office of the Ombuds is here for you.     

 The Charter linked below includes information on the following:

• The purpose of the ombuds program,
• Standards of practice,
• The ombuds’ operational relationship to the College,
• Authority granted to the office, and
• Interference with the use of the Ombuds Office and retaliation.

Common question from employees: How does the Office of the Ombuds differ from HR Employee Relations?

Employee Relations (ER):

• Uses formal processes to represent the College and offers disciplinary or corrective action for misconduct.
• Investigates claims of misconduct.
• Manages the formal grievance and formal mediation processes of DHRM and VCCS.
• Practices misconduct analysis and, if a conflict falls outside of policy guidelines, makes referrals to the Office of the Ombuds.
• Provides education and training on disciplinary/corrective action issues, as well as other conflict resolution techniques, to help resolve conflicts.
• Works with management on employee performance management issues and provides guidance on formal procedures.

Office of the Ombuds:

• Works informally with employees who voluntarily visit the office. 
• Practices conflict analysis to determine if the conflict should be elevated to ER and makes referrals to that department.
• Provides education and training on how to manage conflict.
• Helps employees and students navigate formal processes.
• Offers individual or group consultation and facilitates discussion to help willing participants solve conflicts informally. No records are kept.

Learn more by reviewing the Office of the Ombuds Charter. If you have questions, please reach out to the Office of the Ombuds at EmployeeOmbuds@nvcc.edu (for employees) or Ombuds@nvcc.edu (for student matters).

Submitted by:
Dr. Tanneh Kamara, Student Ombuds, TKamara@nvcc.edu