The Ombuds Blog: Chronicle of Higher Ed Highlights UNT as Example of Ombuds Growth

November 19, 2007

Chronicle of Higher Ed Highlights UNT as Example of Ombuds Growth

The Chronicle of Higher Education announced the appointment of Belinda Newman as the new ombuds at the University of North Texas and noted:

North Texas is not alone in creating and expanding the role of campus ombudsman in recent years. The International Ombudsman Association points to recent master's thesis by a Cornell University student, Mary J. Newhart, which took note of "a rapid growth in the number of ombudsmen offices" on U.S. campuses. Ms. Newhart identified more than 200 practicing ombudsmen at colleges nationwide, a significant increase over earlier published estimates that put the figure at 120 to 150. (Chronicle of Higher Ed.)

Unfortunately, the lede was "Expanded Arbitration." Drat!

Related posts: New Research Shows Strong Growth in Number of University Ombuds; U. North Texas Appoints Ombuds and Expands Office.

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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