Faculty Ombuds

The Faculty Ombuds serves as a confidential, neutral, informal and independent resource for faculty concerns and conflicts.

Here to Assist You

The Faculty Ombuds is available to all USC Columbia tenured, tenure track and professional track faculty members. The Faculty Ombuds is available to listen to visitor concerns, clarify issues, develop options and provide information. The ombuds advocates for fair and equitably administered processes and does not advocate on behalf of any individual within the university.

Communications to the ombuds are not notice to the university.
The ombuds may refer individuals to the appropriate place where formal notice can be made.

An Impartial, Fair and Objective Resource

The ombuds is a member in good standing of the International Ombuds Association, a professional association dedicated to supporting organizational ombuds worldwide. As a member of the IOA, the ombuds operates within the association's code of ethics and standards of practice.

The ombuds holds all communications with those seeking assistance in strict confidence and does not disclose confidential communications unless given permission to do so. The only exception to this privilege of confidentiality is when such a disclosure is required by law or where there appears to be imminent risk of serious harm.

** Please note all University of South Carolina employees are required to report incidents of prohibited conduct to the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX.

CR 1.0 Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment & Sexual Misconduct
The ombuds, as a designated neutral, remains unaligned and impartial and does not engage in any situation that could create a conflict of interest.
The ombuds is an informal resource who does not participate in any formal adjudicative or administrative procedure related to concerns brought to the ombuds' attention.
The ombuds is independent in structure, function and appearance to the highest degree possible within the organization.

Contacting the Ombuds

While email is not appropriate for sharing confidential information please email me at rdipietr@mailbox.sc.edu to schedule a face-to-face meeting.

Confidential & Neutral

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.