Dr. Tandrea Carter appointed App State ombudsperson — a neutral facilitator for conflict resolution

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University announces the appointment of Dr. Tandrea Carter as university ombudsperson. Her new role became effective Sept. 15.

As ombudsperson, Carter provides confidential, impartial and off-the-record problem-solving and dispute resolution assistance to App State students, faculty and staff. This assistance, which is provided at no cost, includes the following:

• listening to concerns;
• brainstorming and assessing options;
• providing coaching;
• helping gather information about resources and referrals;
• facilitating difficult discussions; and
• conducting informal conflict resolution.

Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Heather Norris said, “Dr. Carter brings a wealth of experience to the ombuds role. She is a trained mediator who has supported numerous individuals as they approached work-based conflicts and concerns. She employs a collaborative approach, anchoring her work in respect for individual autonomy and a desire to understand people’s perspectives and experiences.”

Carter, who also serves as director of App State’s Counseling for Faculty and Staff, shared she is honored to broaden her support of the university community in this new role.

“Giving someone a respectful audience can, itself, often be a helpful intervention and a productive step toward resolution. Approaching conflict constructively serves not only to support individuals but also strengthens the university,” Carter said.

Carter joined App State as an adjunct lecturer in the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology, where she taught courses on abnormal psychology, educational psychology, psychology of personality and contemporary issues in psychology.

In 2010, she became director of Counseling for Faculty and Staff, housed in the Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services. Among her duties in this role, Carter provides clinical counseling services to faculty and staff and their immediate family members regarding a variety of mental health and work-related issues. She also offers consultation to administrators, supervisors and other employees regarding employee well-being.

She is a licensed psychologist who earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a concentration in health psychology from the University of Miami. She completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University, where she majored in history.

Prior to coming to App State, Carter worked as a clinical psychologist at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

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University Ombuds Office

The Ombuds Office provides an independent, confidential environment for Appalachian State University faculty, staff and students to discuss campus-related concerns or problems. The ombuds holds the identity and all communications with those seeking assistance in strict confidence and does not disclose confidential communications unless given permission to do so, except as required by law or where, in the ombuds’ judgment, there appears to be imminent risk of serious harm.

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About the Ombuds Office

The Ombuds Office provides an independent, confidential environment for Appalachian State University faculty, staff and students to discuss campus-related concerns or problems. The ombuds holds the identity and all communications with those seeking assistance in strict confidence and does not disclose confidential communications unless given permission to do so, except as required by law or where, in the ombuds’ judgment, there appears to be imminent risk of serious harm. Learn more at https://ombuds.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.