Ombudspersons do not become involved in formal grievances or judicial proceedings because Ombudspersons operate outside the ordinary administrative structure of the University and have no formal decision-making authority over students with whom they consult. Ombudspersons can provide referral information about whom to contact for anyone seeking to file a grievance or access judicial affairs, but Ombudspersons do not initiate such procedures.
Ombudspersons keep no official records of conferences with students and do not share identifying information about students with the Ombuds Committee or with any academic department or administrative office at the University without the student's express permission.
As faculty members at the University at Albany, Ombudspersons remain officers of a public agency. Ombudspersons maintain confidentiality and privacy within the limits of the law and unless they find reasonable evidence that a student may be a danger to him or herself, or to others.