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The Ombuds Resource for WashU Staff, Postdocs, and Graduate Students

Confidential. Independent. Impartial. Informal.

The term “ombuds” (pronounced “ahm–buhds”) comes from a Swedish term meaning “a person who has an ear to the people.”

WashU has two ombuds, Cris Gilbert and Scott Deyo (see bios below), who are available to work with staff, postdocs, and graduate students to surface and resolve university-related issues. The ombuds are an independent, impartial, confidential and informal resource for the WashU community. The ombuds supplements but does not replace WashU’s formal administrative channels.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the ombuds function:

  1. What is the ombuds resource?
  2. What does an ombuds do?
  3. What happens when I contact the ombuds resource?
  4. What are the examples of concerns for which the ombuds might be able to offer support?
  5. What might I gain by contacting the ombuds team?
  6. Who can utilize the ombuds resource and how long does it take to get an appointment?
  7. What does the ombuds resource not do?
  8. When do I reach out to the ombuds team vs. other resources?
  9. Will my visit cause something to change at the university?
  10. What happens to information provided to the ombuds team?
  11. Should I contact the ombuds resource to give WashU notice of a formal complaint?
  12. Will the ombuds team participate in formal meetings, or legal proceedings?
  13. How is the ombuds resource unique and different than other university resources?
  14. Are there any instances in which the ombuds team will not be able to maintain confidentiality?
  15. Who are the members of the ombuds team? How are they trained/vetted?
  16. Can I choose which member of the ombuds team to interact with?
  17. I want to reach out to the ombuds team, but I am nervous. Is there any way for others to identify me as a visitor?
  18. If I reach out to the ombuds team can I remain anonymous?
  19. What if my question is not listed here?

About the Ombuds Team at WashU:

WashU staff, postdocs and graduate students should contact one of the ombuds below to discuss concerns and options for resolution.

cris gilbert ombudsLaCrisia “Cris” Gilbert (cris-ombuds@mwi.org) is a member of MWI’s ombuds panel and has served as both an organizational and advocate ombuds. Her ombuds career started in 2012 as an advocate ombuds in the State of Texas where she advocated for residents in long-term care and assisted living facilities, working with closely with regulatory and individual facilities and their administrations. Utilizing over 30 years in the ADR field as a mediator, facilitator (specializing in Faith-based organizations), professor and trainer, Cris was instrumental in resolving conflicts at all levels from family, civil court cases to facility issues. Cris has served as an organizational ombudsman with a university, assisting faculty, staff, and students as well as training compliance investigators in mediation, conflict resolution, and DEI initiatives for the organization. She has also worked as a facilitator, assisting HR and Compliance with informal resolutions. She serves in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) on two campus initiatives (the President’s DEI Council and Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion Council). Book a time to talk with Cris by sending an email to (cris-ombuds@mwi.org).

Scott DeyoScott Deyo, (scott-ombuds@mwi.org and 703-887-2687) has nearly three decades of experience in academia, non-profit, and federal sectors as an ombuds, mediator, and trainer. He is an expert at helping organizations build and sustain community-centered cultures that focus on people, their interconnected journey together, and their ability to accomplish great things through collaboration and dialogue. For a decade, Scott was a certified mediator and mentor through the Virginia Supreme Court, and has retained his Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP)® credential since March 2010.

Scott has mediated over 250 employment-related disputes, and has been an ombuds in six organizations, including the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (serving faculty, staff, and graduate students), U.S. Green Building Council, U.S. Department of Energy, National Park Service, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. Within these organizations, Scott helped 4,500 people explore resolution options for 18,000 workplace issues. Within academia, Scott’s interventions helped enable productive dialogue and problem-solving on complex issues, including academic freedom, curriculum change processes, lab operations, faculty workloads, authorship, and other unique challenges faced by staff and senior administrators.

As a champion for advancing the ombuds field, Scott is the former Chair, Coalition of Federal Ombuds, and is currently involved with the UNC system Ombuds group, the broader NC ombuds community, and the East Coast Ombuds Group. He also serves as Chair of the CO-OP® Board’s Professional Practices Committee, which upholds the highest levels of professional standards of certified ombuds. Scott has a master’s degree from George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution (2001) and a bachelor’s in psychology (major) and music (minor) from James Madison University (1997). Contact Scott at scott-ombuds@mwi.org or 703-887-2687.

Contact

The WashU Ombuds Team was established under a charter approved by the Executive Vice Chancellor. A copy of that charter is available here. The charter incorporates by reference the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the International Ombuds Association (IOA) and requires that the WashU Ombuds Team adhere to the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. The charter, as well as the IOA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, contain important information about the WashU Ombuds Team and the manner in which it functions.

Due to the independent, impartial, informal, and confidential nature of the ombuds function, communication with the ombuds does not constitute formal notice to the Washington University in St. Louis.