The ombudsperson is often called upon to develop and/or deliver training sessions and workshops. Additionally, the ombudsperson can help facilitate forward-looking meetings (e.g., strategy sessions).  If you or your group would like to explore something along these lines, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Examples of Trainings:

• Basic conflict resolution
• Options for reporting
• Abrasive conduct
• Communication skills
• Creating community/group agreements

Scheduled Trainings

The Ombuds Program, partnered with the Student Conflict Resource Center, is pleased to bring you a series of virtual trainings throughout the year that anyone from the campus community can join. We welcome faculty, staff, administrators, departments, undergraduate, and graduate students to join us. Dates and times are listed below, along with the topic that will be covered that week. We offer two times per topic so that you may hopefully find a time that works for your schedule, you do not need to attend both. You are welcome to sign up in advance by emailing us at ombuds@uoregon.edu or by simply clicking here at the time of the session you wish you attend. 

How to Manage Difficult Conversations: April 15th at 5 pm or April 17th at 10 am

Managing difficult conversations is a crucial element in effective communication. This workshop helps participants uncover the deeper issues of these tough interactions. They will learn about how individuals form the stories they tell themselves about the issue at hand, attributions and assumptions, blame vs. contribution, as well as why feelings are so important. Our presenters will share tips on how to have open dialogue and how to work with elements such as how to work with our perception of the other person's intentions.  

Cycles of Conflict & De-escalation: May 6th at 5 pm or May 8th at 10 am

This introductory workshop dives into understanding the stages of conflict and how conflict develops. Participants will learn goals for de-escalation which include how to ask a genuine question and how to reframe a loaded statement. Participants are also provided with a conflict navigation toolbox that addresses pre and post conflict components. 

Effective Communication - Self-Advocacy in Difficult Conversations: May 28th at 5 pm or May 29th at 10 am

This workshop aims to prepare students for conversations they may find challenging when speaking with professors or advisors. The information included in this workshop focuses on the misconceptions of self-advocacy, normalizing the anxiety around these conversations, and how to effectively communicate concerns. Participants will learn how to prepare for these conversations, techniques for starting and continuing these conversations, as well as skills like how to professionally express disagreement.

Meetings

When scheduling a meeting with the Ombuds Program, here are some helpful items to keep in mind:

• While we are not typically able to schedule a visitor for the same day we usually do have availability within the next couple of business days
• Meetings are scheduled for one hour
• Should you have a circumstance where you need to meet outside of normal business hours we will be happy to work with you to find a time
• To help ensure a visitor's privacy, calendar invites are not sent
• We are able to meet via phone, Zoom, or in-person (feel free to let us know your preference and we will do our best to accommodate that, based on schedules and other factors)
• If a visitor is more than 15 minutes late to the meeting, the meeting will be rescheduled
• We do not use Teams, to help protect our visitor's privacy

For meetings in-person:

• There is street, metered parking available
• A bike rack is available on the side of the building
• The main entrance has a few steps leading up to it, and there is an accessible entrance on the side (don't hesitate to reach out should you need us to unlock that)
• Should you have any other accessibility needs for an in-person meeting please reach out to us