MD Anderson Cancer Center Loses Two Ombuds

According to its website, which was updated over the weekend, Anu Rao and Susan Park are no longer with the Ombuds Office at MDACC. Rao had been the director since February 2006 and Park joined in January 2011. The office remains staffed by Rita Burns and Bill Brock. (MDACC Ombuds Office.)

Job Posting: Strayer University

The private, for-profit educational institution is hiring a Student Financial Services Ombudsman. The position is primarily responsible for handling unresolved loan disputes between students and the university. (According to the U.S. Department of Education, the repayment rate of federal student loans at Strayer University is about 24%.) The position will be full time and based in Northern Virginia. 

Interview of DePaul University's Ombuds

Rev. Craig Mousin, has served as the Ombudsperson for faculty and staff at the private university in Chicago for the past 11 years. He is a minister with the United Church of Christ, a lawyer, and a law professor at DePaul. Before becoming an Ombuds, he was the director of the Center for Church-State Studies for the DePaul Law School.

Northern Illinois University Ombuds Announces Retirement

Tim Griffin, who has served as the NIU Ombudsman for 21 years, will retire this summer. Griffin said his retirement came as he is, “maxed out in the retirement system,” and seeking something new. “I’m at a point in life where I want to accomplish other things while I still have the strength to accomplish them,” he told the campus newspaper.  (Northern Star.)

Job Posting: Northeastern Illinois University

The public state university in North Park, Chicago is hiring its first Employee Ombuds. The full-time position will report directly to the University President and will serve approximately 2,500 staff, administrators, and faculty. The job posting moves the campus closer to establishing an Ombuds program that has been under discussion for at least five years. 

Job Posting: George Mason University

The Ombuds at GMU is hiring a temporary, part-time (30 hours/week), nonstudent wage Program Assistant for March until June 2012. The incumbent will assist in the preparation of the annual report, maintaining the web site, and outreach projects. In addition, the Program Assistant will be responsible for general office management duties.

Harvard Negotiation Law Review 2012 Symposium to Feature Ombuds

On Saturday, February 25, the Harvard Negotiation Law Review will offer a free symposium entitled, “Does ADR Work? Evaluating the Effectiveness of Alternative Dispute Resolution.” The first panel session, “Co-optation of ADR: Has it Become ‘Cheap Justice’?” will include Howard Gadlin, Ombuds at the National Institutes of Health. 

Coalition of Federal Ombuds Meeting Minutes Highlights New Office

CoFO has published the minutes of its January 2012 meeting, which included a presentation by Sheryl Brown-Norman at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. According to the summary, Brown-Norman is establishing an Organizational Ombudsman office which facilitates effective coordination among the intelligence community agencies.

New Conflict Resolution Job Site

A new job board for ADR positions include a section for Ombuds jobs. The Ombuds positions are all within the United States and come from all sectors and types of practice. (Conflict Resolution Jobs via Campus-ADR Tech Blog.)

Journal of International Ombudsman Association Calls for Papers

The peer-reviewed journal for Organizational Ombuds is planning a special issue on the subject of “One-Person Ombudsman Offices,” to be published in October 2012. The issue seeks to identify those elements of one-person practice that characterize the challenges and opportunities faced by solo practitioners. 

Job Posting: Kaiser Permanente

KP is seeking applications for four, full-time Health Care Ombuds/Mediator positions in the Bay Area cities of San Francisco, South San Francisco, San Jose, and South Sacramento. Kaiser's HCOM functions as, "a trained alternative dispute professional offering patients, family members, staff & providers a conflict management program to resolve patient/provider healthcare disputes early thereby improving patient safety & reducing the costs of health care dispute resolution."

Meet Michagan State University's New Ombuds

Robert Caldwell was appointed as the Ombuds for MSU in January 2012 and inherited the oldest continuously operating college Ombuds office in the U.S. "The first thing I'm trying to do is really immerse myself in history, and immerse myself in the tradition we have established here at Michigan State University," Caldwell said. 

Update: IFFOR Names Ombuds

The International Foundation for Online Responsibility has announced that Business Excellence Solutions will establish and manage its Office of Ombudsman. IFFOR Chairman Clyde Beattie said of the decision: “I am very pleased to have filled this crucial role within IFFOR. I am confident that Business Excellence Solutions will serve not just IFFOR but also the broader Internet community well.” 

International Ombudsman Institute Opens Registration for 2012 Conference

IOI President Beverly Wakem has announced that the IOI 10th World Conference will convene in Wellington, New Zealand on November 12–16, 2012. The meeting will be a forum for Ombuds from around the world to meet to share their experience and expertise. The New Zealand Office of the Ombudsmen, where Wakem serves as Chief Ombudsman, will host the conference. 

University of Rochester Medical Center Creates Ombuds Office

The medical campus of the University of Rochester in Upstate New York has appointed Mary Berk as its first Ombudsman. Berk will work with hospital patients, families, and staff in a neutral, confidential, independent and informal role. “Adding an ombudsman for our hospital and ambulatory care clinics is a progressive move,” said Jackie Beckerman, director of UMRC's Office of the Strong Commitment, a service excellence program.