Employment concerns top Penn Ombuds cases as conflict resolution office sees rise in visits

Employment-related conflicts were the most commonly raised issue with Penn’s Office of the Ombuds in the last academic year.

The office’s latest annual report — published on March 16 in the University’s Almanac — found that employment concerns accounted for 39% of issues brought to the office, followed by academic-related concerns at 33%. In total, the Office of the Ombuds welcomed 229 visitors in the 2024-25 academic year.

The office aims to serve as a “confidential, informal, impartial, and independent resource” for Penn faculty, students, and staff who are “endeavoring to address issues involving conflicts, disputes, and obstacles to one’s successful engagement as a member of the Penn community.” Its services include consultation, coaching for difficult conversations, mediation, and referrals to other University resources.

Employment concerns voiced by visitors to the office last year most frequently involved job performance or interpersonal workplace issues. Visitors also raised concerns about changes to the University’s remote work policies. 

Some visitors noted a “​​lack of transparency about procedures and processes” and the “inconsistent application of such policies.” 

“As a result, complaints of favoritism or inequality continue to be common,” the report read. 

Academic-related concerns — which made up the second-largest share of complaints at 33% — included matters related to academic procedures, academic integrity, and research issues such as authorship and intellectual property. According to the report, complaints of “lack of collegiality and bad behavior” were frequent. 

Behavior-related concerns accounted for 10% of the issues brought to the office and included reports of “verbally abusive, demeaning interactions and microaggressions.”

The report found that the number of visitors to the office increased by 6% to 229 during the 2024-25 academic year. Staff accounted for the largest share of visitors with 87 visits, followed by faculty with 49 visits, graduate or professional students with 39 visits, and undergraduate students with 31 visits. Postdoctoral trainees accounted for 10 visits, and 13 visitors fell into other categories.

Among faculty members, who composed 21% of visitors in the last academic year, common concerns related to job security, tenure and promotion processes, and faculty recruitment and retention. 

Graduate and professional students most often discussed problems surrounding relationships with faculty advisors, mentors, and principal investigators. According to the report, policies about authorship and intellectual property “remain vague in many departments.”

The number of visitors to the office has increased steadily over the past five years. The office recorded 153 visitors during the 2020-21 academic year, compared to 186 visitors in 2021-22, 203 in 2022-23, 218 in 2023-24, and 229 in 2024-25.

Staff have consistently made up the largest share of visitors to the office in the past five years, accounting for approximately 39% of visitors in 2020-21, 45% in 2021-22, 39% in 2022-23, 42% in 2023-24, and 38% in the most recent report.

In the 2024-25 academic year — for the first time in five years — faculty were the second most common type of visitors to the office. 

Last year’s annual report also identified several services that may address recurring concerns brought by visitors to the office — including proactive leadership training on conflict management, processes for providing ongoing feedback, and increased availability of restorative practices.

“We want to reaffirm the value of an Office of the Ombuds, especially in light of the current challenges we face in our country and in the world,” the report read. “The office represents a safe and confidential place to engage in discussions among campus community members who may differ in their beliefs and we welcome the opportunity to help.”

Senior reporter Jack Guerin contributed reporting. 

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