Ombudsperson. The Ombudsperson is an impartial and independent party appointed to receive complaints and provide information and confidential assistance to help achieve resolution. The Ombudsperson is an information resource, offering guidance when you do not know where to begin or offering help when regular channels have failed. Services of the Ombudsperson do not replace formal grievance processes or other channels of redress open to students and employees. Rather, the Ombudsperson is an option that is confidential, informative, advisory and conciliatory in nature.
The Office of the Ombudsperson may assist any member of the University of Nebraska at Kearney community in the resolution of academic, administrative, or personal problems that can not otherwise be resolved equitably within existing mechanisms. The Office will seek to improve the academic and administrative processes within the University by discovering problems and suggesting reforms. The Ombudsperson may listen to, investigate, and seek to mediate and resolve complaints concerning academic or administrative polices, procedures, practices, or decisions. Every effort will be made to resolve problems as fairly and expeditiously as possible. All information presented to the Office of the Ombudsperson shall be considered confidential.
Your concerns may be directed to the Ombudsperson by appointment, walk-in, letter, telephone, or e-mail: Ombudsperson Founders Hall (308) 865-8404.
Reporting Fraud. Any employee who becomes aware of fraud or abuse in the workplace is encouraged to contact the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts. A toll-free hotline is available 24 hours a day at 471-3686 (in Lincoln) or 800-842-8238 (statewide). Complaints may be made anonymously either by phone or email. Visit http://www.auditors.state.ne.us/ for more information.
Employees may also contact the State Ombudsman (Public Counsel), an independent governmental office designed to receive and investigate miscellaneous complaints relating to administrative agencies of state government. The office can be reached by telephone at (402) 471-2035 or toll-free at (800) 742-7690. Visit the office on line at http://nebraskalegislature.gov/divisions/ombud.php
http://www.nebraska.edu/hr/hr_reportingfraud.shtml
Access to Records. Accessibility of Records. The Human Resources Office maintains a file on each employee to record their University employment history. Employees have the right to review their personnel file during regular office hours upon request.
Reports, letters, and documents that reflect unfavorably on an employee will not be placed in their file without the employee's knowledge.
The following are proper forms of documentation:
- Materials bearing the employee's signature.
- Letters or memos addressed to the employee.
- Letters or memos showing a copy sent to the employee.
All official records of disciplinary action are maintained in an employee's personnel file
Except for directory information, information in employee records at the University must be secured in strict conformity with laws, regulations, and Board of Regents policy governing the confidentiality of such information. Directory information includes:
1. Name
2. Position
3. Date of Hire
4. Department of Employment
5. Gross Salary
6. Date of Separation
All records pertaining to an employee's medical or health history will be kept in a separate file.
Computer Use. Computing resources at the University of Nebraska at Kearney include computers, storage devices, peripheral devices, supplies, software, documentation, networks, services and support. These resources are owned by the University and are to be used only in accordance with its academic and administrative goals, and in conformance with the policies of the University Board of Regents. Any other use is prohibited.
According to Executive Memorandum No. 16, access to electronic information systems at the University of Nebraska is a privilege, not a right, and must be treated as such by all users of these systems. All users must act honestly and responsibly. Every user is responsible for the integrity of these information resources. All users must respect the rights of other computer users, respect the integrity of the physical facilities and controls, and respect all pertinent licenses and contractual agreements related to University information systems. Failure to so conduct oneself in compliance with this Policy may result in denial of access to University information systems or other disciplinary action.
The Director of Information Technology Services is authorized to monitor the use of campus-wide computing resources. Department and Program Administrators are authorized to monitor their specific computing resources, manage and protect those resources and the rights of their users, and recommend the imposition of sanctions against any person who violates these guidelines. Sanctions may be both internal, involving loss of computing privileges or other disciplinary measures, and external, involving civil or criminal action under the Nebraska Computer Crimes Act or Federal statutes.
The authority to monitor resources includes the authority to access all files on relevant systems, and to monitor communications, including terminal sessions and E-mail. Campus-wide and Internet E-mail monitoring will be conducted only by members of the professional staff of the Information Technology Services Office, who will observe all restrictions of all applicable Privacy Laws.
There are established procedures for gaining access to the Student information System (SIS) and the Administrative Systems Project (ASP) data. For further information or a complete policy per Executive Memorandum No. 16, please contact the Information Technology Services Office. Please refer to the index for the complete policy.
Lactation Support Program
I. Statement of Principle
The University of Nebraska at Kearney recognizes the importance of supporting mothers who wish to continue to breastfeed while they are at work or attending school. The University acknowledges the significant health benefits of breastfeeding and believes that the University should make private, accessible, and comfortable lactation rooms available to its employees and students who want to express milk while on campus and away from their infant.
II. Program Details
a. Lactation Rooms - Private
A private lactation room is located in the Memorial Student Affairs Building on campus for those who do not have a private office on campus or do not want to use their office. A student or employee wanting access to a room should contact the Women’s Studies Office or Counseling Care if the room is locked. Lactation room users are responsible for bringing their own equipment and cleaning up after each use. A refrigerator is provided in this room as a means to store expressed milk. In the future, the campus will make every effort to identify rooms that can be scheduled as use for lactation rooms in new buildings as part of the planning process. Departments are responsible for working with employees to provide an area when requested.
b. Time Away from Work
Supervisors should attempt to be flexible and provide reasonable accommodation to support the needs of nursing mothers. For some, expressing breast milk may be a physical necessity. Employees, in consultation with their supervisors, are permitted to flex their work schedules for the purposes of lactation.
Approved 2/26/10