Annual Report 2024 -25

Introduction

Students encounter a wide range of challenges throughout their time at Georgetown, from everyday questions and interpersonal concerns to more complex issues that affect their wellbeing, sense of belonging, and ability to succeed. The Office of the Student Ombuds (OSO) remains committed to offering Georgetown students a confidential, impartial, and informal space to talk through these concerns, explore options, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence. In a year shaped by political uncertainty, ongoing global tensions, and emerging questions around the use of artificial intelligence in academic settings, the need for thoughtful, student-centered support remained especially important.

Visitor Engagement

During 2024–25, the Office served 377 visitors. While this reflects a 5% decrease from the previous year and suggests a leveling off after several years of rapid growth, the complexity of student concerns continued to deepen. Notably, the Ombuds spent 427.25 hours in consultations, group visits, and informal mediations, a 6.3% increase from the prior year. This year’s data suggests that students are not only continuing to seek support, but are also engaging in longer, more nuanced conversations as they navigate increasingly complicated academic, interpersonal, and personal challenges.

Key Issues

Mental health and well-being remained among the most common concerns raised by visitors, alongside issues involving evaluative relationships between students and faculty or staff. Graduate students continued to make up a significant portion of visitors (50%), often seeking support for advisor relationships, lab dynamics, communication difficulties, and questions of fairness and belonging. Undergraduate student engagement increased to 37% (an 8% increase from the prior year), with many visitors raising concerns related to well-being, classroom experiences, administrative decisions, and interpersonal challenges. These patterns reinforce the OSO’s role as a trusted resource for students across Georgetown’s diverse academic communities.

Outreach Initiatives

Outreach remained a central priority this year. The OSO held 26 outreach events and engaged an estimated audience of over 2,800 participants through presentations, workshops, tabling, restorative circles, and other programming. Continued investment in outreach, digital communications, and educational programming helped broaden awareness of the Office and strengthen its visibility as a campus resource.

Feedback and Impact

Positive post-visit feedback further affirmed the impact of the Office, with visitors consistently reporting that they felt heard, respected, and better equipped to navigate their concerns after meeting with the Ombuds.

Conclusion

This report highlights the work of the OSO over the past year, including visitor trends, key issues, outreach efforts, and recommendations for the future. It reflects not only the concerns students brought forward, but also the importance of having a confidential and compassionate resource that supports dialogue, problem-solving, and constructive change. At its core, the work of the OSO is grounded in the belief that Georgetown is stronger when students feel heard, supported, and empowered to explore their options.

Annual Report 2024 -25

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