In the current climate of increased debate and division around the rapid changes impacting higher ed, the Ombuds office can play a crucial role in navigating complex and often polarizing conversations. Join us for a session that will highlight the value of an impartial, trusted resource that serves as an informal and confidential third party, helping individuals and groups work through challenging issues without fear of bias.
Through practical examples and actionable tools, participants will learn more about the role of the ombudsperson and how to leverage the Ombuds office as a vital partner in promoting effective communication and mutual understanding.
REGISTER HERE
Speakers:
Robynn Pease, Staff Ombuds, University of South Carolina
Robynn Pease has been serving as inaugural University of South Carolina (USC) Staff Ombuds since January 2024. Prior to her arrival at USC, Robynn served over five years as the Faculty and Associate Ombuds at Oregon State University (OSU), where she consulted with staff, faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. At OSU, she also served as the Assistant Director of the Family Resource Center, director of the Academic Affairs Office of Work-Life and the founding director of the Greater Oregon Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (GOHERC), assisting staff, faculty, and students with dependent care needs across the lifespan. Additional professional experience includes employment as the director of the Office of Work Life at the University of Kentucky.
Robynn holds a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Kentucky (UK) with expertise in gerontology and social inequalities and has taught as an adjunct professor for the College of Social Work and Department of Sociology at UK and Morehead State University. She is a trained mediator, member of the International Ombuds Association and a certified long-term care ombudsman in Oregon and Kentucky. When not employed as an organizational ombuds, Robynn enjoys supporting community aging services initiatives and programs. Her most recent activities have included membership of the Oregon Cascades West Council of City Governments Senior Services advisory council, Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care board of directors, and Corvallis Caring Place Assisted Living advisory board in Corvallis, OR.
Tessa Byer, University Ombuds, Clemson University
Tessa Byer has served as the University Ombuds at Clemson University in Clemson, SC, since August 2021. She has been a mediator, conflict coach, trainer, and Ombuds consultant since 2015, and she has provided conflict resolution in many contexts, including divorce, workplace, family, religious, landlord/tenant, permanency, harassment prevention, and small-claims court. Tessa holds a Master of Arts in Coexistence and Conflict from Brandeis University and a Master of Community Planning from Auburn University, and she is working on her PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
#Webinar