Navigation Point of the Day
One verified idea a day for making conflict work. Every point carries its source and date.
Explore all navigation points
High-Functioning Teams in Higher Ed
Practices that license dissent and build safety — tuned for departments, committees, and shared governance.
The Evidence Brief
Ongoing trends and data on conflict, collaboration, leadership, communication, psychological safety, and EQ — dated and cited.
AI & the University Workplace
Factually grounded AI trends with a higher-ed lens. U.S. and global samples are labeled; tiers follow the Ombuds source registry.
Choose Your Conflict Mode
Answer four questions about the situation in front of you. Get the Thomas–Kilmann mode that fits — with its trade-offs.
Talk to the Ombuds
Empowering your success by independently facilitating the impartial, confidential and informal resolution of workplace conflicts and concerns. Serving all USF employees — faculty, staff, and administration, from all campus locations.
Reports directly to the President — outside ordinary management lines.
Designated as neutral and impartial — no sides, no stake in outcomes.
Trusted to keep strict confidence. The sole exception is imminent risk of serious harm.
Operates beyond formal procedure — talking with the Ombuds is not notice to the University.
Visiting the Ombuds is always voluntary and informal, and does not replace or affect any formal rights or processes available to you — including those under a collective bargaining agreement.
Make an appointment
Whenever you are ready to “visit,” the Office arranges a convenient, confidential meeting by Microsoft Teams — a face-to-face virtual meeting works best, though phone works when needed. It helps to call ahead.
Patel Center for Global Solutions (CGS 223), Tampa campus · usf.edu/ombuds
Why the Ombuds doesn’t work by email
Email at Florida public universities, including USF, is generally public record. Because the Office maintains strict confidentiality, it does not provide Ombuds services through electronic messaging — use email only to set up your confidential meeting.
Students have their own Ombuds
Student concerns go to the separate Student Ombuds Office: (813) 974-0835 · ombuds@usf.edu.
About the Ombuds
Steven D. Prevaux, J.D.
An active Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner® (CO-OP®), credentialed in Advanced Conflict Management (Kilmann Diagnostics) and a Certified Trainer in Workplace Conflict Resolution (Mediation Training Institute), with the perspective of a Florida Supreme Court certified mediator and former board certification in education law.
Prior service includes Vice President and Director of the International Ombuds Association and board service with the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators and NACUA; a 2015 Fulbright International Education Administrators program in France; and earlier work at the University of Florida, the Florida Board of Regents, and in private practice. B.A. International Relations and B.A. Psychology, University of Michigan; J.D., University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
Cheryl Lesko
With the Office since July 2018, Cheryl is certified by the Mediation Training Institute in Resolving Workplace Conflict and in use of the Conflict Dynamics Profile Individual and 360 assessments. At USF since 2006, she provided executive administrative services in the USF Health SVP/Dean's Office, earned a Paralegal Certificate in 2012, and negotiated clinical research trial agreements with the USF Health Office of Clinical Research from 2013–2017.
Cheryl combines her administrative and paralegal expertise to make the Ombuds Office a welcoming and safe place for faculty, staff, and administrators to voice concerns, work through conflict, and brainstorm constructive resolutions.
Full bios: Ombuds Office Staff — usf.edu/ombuds
USF Ombuds Office — usf.edu/ombuds · IOA Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice (rev. 2024)