The mission of the Ombuds Office is to provide confidential, impartial, informal, and independent assistance to Utah Valley University community members, enabling them to voice concerns, develop options, and solve problems. The UVU Ombudsman facilitates dialogue and negotiation to resolve disputes and concerns within the university based on voluntary participation.
Per UVU Policy 541, students have the right to access the Ombuds Office for consultation and assistance resolving matters of personal and school issues, including but not limited to concerns and conflicts regarding other students, faculty, university policies and processes, and housing disputes.
The Ombuds Charter defines the authority and responsibilities of the Ombuds Office.
The UVU Ombudsman is guided by the four principles outlined by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) Code of Ethics.
The university ombudsman maintains strict confidentiality regarding your identity and communications when you are seeking assistance. Confidential information is only disclosed with your permission, except in cases of imminent serious harm or when mandated by Title IX and other state and federal laws.
The Ombuds remains unbiased, neutral, and impartial when addressing your concerns and complaints. The Ombuds considers the rights and interests of all parties involved and helps them reach fair and equitable agreements aligned with the University’s mission and policies. However, the Ombuds does not advocate for the university or any individual.
In resolving conflicts, the university ombudsman focuses on informal methods and doesn’t engage in formal investigations or decisions. As an informal resource, the Ombuds is not authorized to accept your notice (formal complaints) for the university, except in Title IX cases, but will refer you to the appropriate office. Your use of the Ombuds Office is voluntary.
The UVU Ombudsman is independent in structure, function, and appearance, and informs the highest offices of campus administration to convey perceived issues and trends via an annual report. The Ombuds provides anonymous aggregate statistical data and does not keep formal records.
Dr. Emily M. Taylor serves as the assistant director of conflict resolution and the university ombuds at Utah Valley University. She is a certified mediator, conflict coach, and developmental psychologist. Emily has authored two books on conflict resolution principles, Raising Mediators and Conflict Fluent, and co-authored several academic journal articles.
As the university ombuds, Emily focuses on helping you navigate through conflict by providing the following services:
To schedule an appointment with Emily, please contact Shawn Nielsen at [email protected] or 801-863-8952, or complete the visitor intake form.
Additionally, Emily offers educational workshops that can be tailored to your specific needs. Please complete an educational workshop request form.
Beginning in Fall 2024, the Ombuds Office welcomes two undergraduate fellows to gain hands-on experience in conflict resolution, mediation, and program management. The fellows will collaborate with the Ombuds team to support daily office operations and expand conflict resolution activities on campus.
We seek qualified students with the following types of experience:
If you are interested in applying for an internship with the Ombuds Office, contact Dr. Emily Taylor at [email protected].
2024 Fellow
Sammy Morgan is a psychology major in her third year at UVU. She is planning to pursue a career in research. She is fascinated by interpersonal relationships and the role they play in society. In her spare time, she loves killing it on the dance floor, reading, and being outdoors.
2024 Fellow
Trevor Fielding is a senior here at UVU studying Peace and Justice Studies. Soon after, he plans to get his MBA degree. He sees human conflict as one of the most important and interesting puzzles to attempt solving, and he is driven to advance upward social mobility and empowering peace. With those passions as his drive, he is pursuing a career in social impact strategy, peacebuilding, mediation, people operations, consulting, and ethical international development.
2024 Fellow
Logan Nitta is a UVU senior preparing to graduate in December. As a psych major, Logan has enjoyed taking mediation and negotiation courses through UVU, which inspired him to learn more about conflict resolution. Through his UVU mediation courses, he was able to participate in and later organize truancy mediations at local high schools that involved students and parents engaging in dialogue with a representative from the school to generate solutions. Logan enjoys working with people and is excited to support the Ombuds and build out conflict resolution offerings at UVU.
Ombuds
