Call for Papers and Posters: ENOHE 2025 Conference

The European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education seeks presenters for its 20th annual conference at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on June 4-6, 2025. Proposals are due by January 15, 2025. 

Full details from ENOHE: 

Fairfax County, Virginia, Unveils Ombuds Program for Community Services

The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, a county agency, has created an Office of the Ombuds Advocate to assist individuals and their families in resolving service-related concerns related to mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities. Jenna Beebe-Aryee is the inaugural Ombuds and Program Manager. According to a new website for the office, the CSB Ombuds Advocate will practice to IOA standards. 

Radboud University Retains Experienced Staff Ombuds

Last month, Job van Luyken was appointed the part-time Staff Ombudsperson for Radboud Universiteit. He follows the inaugural Ombuds, Nancy Viellevoye, who left abruptly and complained that the office had been understaffed and frequently sidelined in favor of external consultants. Van Luyken joins Aukje Verstegen began work as the university's first Student Ombudsperson in January 2024.

Carnegie Mellon University Appoints Inaugural Student & Faculty Ombuds

Monique McKay has been selected as the first Student and Faculty Ombudsperson for the private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She will report to the Provost and is expected to work closely with CMU's Staff Ombudsperson, Jennifer Pablonis.

Queen's University Selects Next Ombuds

Last month, Norma Barrett was named the Ombudsperson for the public research university in Kingston, Ontario. She leads an office which includes Associate Ombuds, Heather Trojek, who served as the Interim University Ombudsperson during the recent search. Together, they provide services to nearly 45,000 students, staff, and faculty. In the role, Barrett reports to the Board of Trustees with oversight by the University Culture Committee and Faculty Senate.

Job Posting: Sacramento City Unified School District

The public school system in California's capital city is hiring on Ombudsperson. As part of the district's Constituent Services Office, the position. "Serve as an informal and confidential conflict management resource for parents, guardians, community members, and district staff; advocate for fair processes and administration of those processes, not for one person or a particular outcome in a conflict." 

Job Re-Posting: Georgia Institute of Technology

The public research university in Atlanta has reopened its search for its next Ombudsperson. The position has been renamed from 'Ombudsman' and the salary range increased. Georgia Tech consolidated its faculty, staff, and graduate student Ombuds programs in 2009, but it appears that all have been defunct since early 2012. The full-time, hybrid position will single-handedly serve a total population of about 38,000, including faculty, staff, and students.

University of Wyoming Selects Next Ombuds

Don Appiarius has been appointed the new Ombudsperson for UW. He follows Nellie Haddad and her interim replacement, Narina Nunez, in the position. Appiarius will report to the University President and provide services to all members of the campus community.

University of Luxembourg Adds an Ombuds

Veronika Lovrits has been selected as a full-time Ombudsperson for Université du Luxembourg. She joins the inaugural (and now part-time) Ombuds, Brent Epperson, and will expand the university's Ombuds Service, which was established by Brent Epperson in February 2021. In this new role, Lovrits will report to the University's Governing Council and provide Ombuds services to staff and students in English and German.

Journal of IOA Article Examines Role of Civility

Julia L. Farmer, the Director of Ombuds Services at the University of West Georgia, is the author of a new article in the peer-reviewed Journal of the International Ombuds Association. In "Navigating Civility’s Baggage: Some Thoughts for Ombuds Practitioners," Farmer offers some important context for Ombuds engage with visitors around the issue of civility. The article is the first in a JIOA Special Issue on Politics and Polarization.

Utah Valley University Selects Three Ombuds Fellows

Emily M. Taylor, UVU's Assistant Director of Conflict Resolution and University Ombudsman, has appointed three undergraduate fellows. The new positions will "gain hands-on experience in conflict resolution, mediation, and program management [and] collaborate with the Ombuds team to support daily office operations and expand conflict resolution activities on campus." These appear to be the first-ever Ombuds fellowships.

IOA Publishes Summary of 2024 Practice Survey

The International Ombuds Association has completed its biennial survey of Organizational Ombuds about the qualitative aspects of their work. Respondents around the world provided data for the 2023 calendar year. The research team of Jennifer Schneider, Timothy Hedeen, Mary Rowe, and Hector Escalante Meza compiled a top ten list of interesting findings from the study:

New Video from Justice Canada Promotes Ombuds

A new video from Canada's Department of Justice presents "The Organizational Ombuds." Coproduced by the Ombuds and Informal Resolution Services Office and the Department's Communication's Branch, the video aims to showcase the profession in a fresh and engaging way. This video is publicly available and is intended for all Canadian Organizational Ombuds. In many respects it is similar and complimentary to the promotional video produced by IOA in 2019. 

University of Pittsburgh's Dietrich School Names First Ombuds

Pitt's liberal arts college, The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, has created an Ombuds program for faculty, staff, and students. Lisa Lang is the inaugural Ombudsperson and Director of the Office of the Ombuds. She manages a team that currently includes four part-time, collateral duty Ombuds: Philippa Carter, Graduate Ombudsperson; Deb Artim, Faculty Ombuds; Amy Flick, Faculty Ombuds; and Brent Malin, Faculty Ombuds. (Pitt AS Ombuds.)

Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Reappoints Inaugural Ombuds

Elizabeth (Betsy) Shoenfelt and Margaret (Peggy) Stockdale have been reappointed as the Ombudspersons for the professional association also known as Division 14 of the American Psychological Association. Originally, Shoenfelt was set to serve through 2025, and Stockdale until the end of 2024. Stockdale, however, recently accepted a second term and will now serve through 2027. The pair are volunteers who have been trained to provide services to SIOP members and conference attendees. (SIOP Items of Interest.)