Frequently Asked Questions

Although the current DuckREFs setup has been developed with STEM graduate students in mind, any UO Grad student is welcome to use the DuckREFS resource! Our REFs come from diverse backgrounds. We have graduate students from the Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Physics Department as well as staff members on our team. We believe different perspectives are beneficial and the option to choose to approach a REF from outside one’s department provides an additional layer of confidentiality and impartiality should one feel the need for it.

To set up a meeting, submit the form on our Contact Us page, or email duckrefs@uoregon.edu. You do not have to say anything about your situation. Don’t worry about picking the “right” DuckREF; all of the REFS are trained and familiar with the many challenges facing graduate students, and we are happy to direct you to a different REF who might have more experience dealing with your particular issue. 

We also anticipate drop-in office hours resuming in Fall 2022.

The REF will arrange to meet with you in person at a location of your choice. We prefer to meet in person or over Zoom because we cannot guarantee that our conversation will be confidential over email. However, this does not have to be a formal meeting! Often students will meet with a REF over lunch or some coffee.

During the meeting, the REF will listen to your concerns and ask questions to try to clarify the situation. They will not attempt to solve your problem or tell you what to do. Rather, through discussing the issue, they will try to clarify your options and help you choose among them.

If the problem is especially difficult or intractable, they may suggest other resources on campus that might be able to help you, such as the Ombuds Program, the Office of the Dean of Students, or the Counseling Center. A number of resources available on campus can be found here as well!

Professional development for DuckREFS begins with a training workshop on Conflict Resolution provided by specialists from the UO Law School’s Conflict and Dispute Resolution Master’s Program (CRES) and the UO Omsbuds Program. These workshops are an abbreviated version of the state of Oregon’s mediator certification training, and cover topics such as conflict styles, emotional intelligence, active listening, confidentiality, self-care and mental health.

Ongoing training and support for DuckREFS are provided by CRES and DEI Committee members, and include monthly REFS meetings.

Though we certainly encourage you to seek out help from all resources that are available, speaking to DuckREFS offers some unique benefits. We are non-judgmental, will keep your situation strictly confidential, and will never pressure you to make a decision or take action. Through our training, we have formed personal relationships with members of the Ombuds Porgram and other UO sources of student support, and can direct you to specific people in these offices who may be helpful in solving your problem.

No. Though UO DuckREFS may co-sponsor events with WGS (Women in Graduate Science) and CMiS (Community for Minorities in STEM) we are all separate organizations with unique mission statements. We do not hold joint meetings or share confidential information with WGS or CMiS.