Wesleyan's Ombudsperson

Wesleyan’s Ombudsperson, Israela Brill-Cass, serves as a confidential, independent, neutral resource for faculty and staff, providing a safe space where individuals can talk through any workplace issues they may be experiencing without automatically triggering an investigation or required next steps.

An Ombud can:

• Be a sounding board and offer perspective and advice about work-related concerns

• Provide you with information about how to manage challenging conversations and resolve a matter informally 

• Answer questions and provide information to help you assess your options (not legal advice)

• Refer you to the appropriate office to file a formal complaint or grievance

• Mediate conflicts and facilitate conversations if all participants are willing to do so​

An Ombud cannot:

• Make or change a University policy, rule or decision

• Provide legal advice or representation

• Testify in formal grievance proceedings

• Conduct investigations or grievance proceedings​

Israela has more than 20 years of experience as an attorney, mediator, facilitator, trainer, ombuds, and consultant. In 2015 she launched her company, Fixerrr LLC — the 3 r’s stand for rethink, respond and resolve — to help individuals, groups, and organizations recognize their strengths, assess their options, and gain the tools they need to succeed. In 2017 she became Wesleyan University’s inaugural ombudsperson.

To learn more about the Ombuds role at Wesleyan please visit Israela's Ombuds Wesleyan website.