Radboud University
For students: see Student confidential advisor
Do you encounter problems at work or feel unsafe due to undesirable behaviour such as harassment, bullying or discrimination? Or do you have concerns about research integrity or conflicts in the workplace? Know that our confidential advisors are available to support you.
You can contact a confidential advisor for a confidential conversation. The confidential advisor will listen to your story and explore possible solutions with you. You always stay in control of the process.
Do not hesitate to get in touch. Confidential advisors are here to support you. The confidential advisor listens to you, thinks along with you, and helps you determine what your next steps could be. You can contact us in one of the following ways:
There are different confidential advisors who deal with different issues. We distinguish between confidential advisors for undesirable behaviour (for employees, PhD students and students), confidential advisors for academic integrity, and confidential advisors for administrative integrity.
You can contact a confidential advisor for undesirable behaviour if you have been exposed to online or offline undesirable behaviour. You can also contact them if you are not sure what you have been through. What you experience as hurtful, is always worthwhile to discuss. A confidential advisor can support you in situations of bullying, gossip, aggression, sexually transgressive behaviour or power abuse.
What constitutes undesirable behaviour is primarily up to you. What is undesirable for one person does not have to be for another. It only becomes a problem when you cannot work it out together.
Also read about social safety at Radboud University.
You can contact a confidential advisor for academic integrity when you suspect that there might be a violation of research integrity. Examples include: the manipulation or misinterpretation of research results, the falsification of data, bias or dependence in contract research, plagiarism or violation of copyright, or other forms of scientific misconduct.
Not only employees of Radboud University can contact our confidential advisers for scientific integrity. Anyone is welcome, as long as the question is about an employee of Radboud University.
You can contact the confidential advisor for whistle-blowers if you want to report an activity that may harm the university. This may involve a criminal offence, an infringement of the regulations or misleading an accountant. Or it may concern a threat to public health, public safety or the environment. The university could also be exposed to a serious risk due to the exchange of information, or the omission or withholding of information. The whistle-blower’s regulation helps employees to report suspicions of harmful activities, without getting into trouble.
A confidant offers you a safe place to share your experience. A confidant thinks with you and advises you in your search for a solution. Together you can explore what steps you feel comfortable with, such as:
Your story stays confidential, and you always stay in control of what happens in the process. You have all the time and space you need to think about what steps you want to take and when. So, you also have the freedom to decide that sharing your story is enough for now and you do not (yet) want to take further action.
In addition to a guiding role, the confidential advisor also has an advisory and signalling function. We regularly discuss trends and developments with management and HR, always focusing on the broader context without addressing individual cases. Furthermore, we give advice on policies related to social safety and undesirable behaviour. Do you have a question or want to discuss something? Feel free to reach out to us.
The confidential advisors of Radboud University are independent of faculties or study programmes. They are certified members of the National Association of Confidential Advisors (Landelijke Vereniging van Vertrouwenspersonen).
You may also feel uncomfortable, frustrated or thwarted in your work due to other causes. This may be caused by factors such as overwork, conflicts regarding your tasks or relationships at work, stress, or personal circumstances that impact your job. Working conditions that impact your (mental) health can also be a contributing factor. In these situations, you can talk to HR, a company social worker, campus psychologist or coach.
Carefulness and integrity are core values for our confidential advisors. When you seek advice from a confidential advisor, you will receive the best possible support. Where possible, efforts are made to de-escalate, promote collaboration and encourage open communication. The confidential advisor supports and advises you throughout this process, but does not take control, mediate, or act as an advocate.
We welcome your tips, ideas, compliments, suggestions and feedback. If there is something you are less satisfied with, we would appreciate hearing about it so we can work together towards a solution. You can contact the Head of the Confidential Advisors Team, Caroline Bakkerus, at caroline.bakkerus [at] ru.nl (caroline[dot]bakkerus[at]ru[dot]nl).