White Paper Urges Use of Gender-Neutral 'Ombuds'

A working paper from Dragana Ćorić at the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad (Pravni fakultet Univerziteta u Novom Sadu) in Serbia examines the relevance of naming for the Ombuds profession. Corcic argues that gender-sensitive terminology is a vital mechanism for achieving gender equality by reflecting and driving social change. She asserts that the move to from 'Ombudsman' to 'Ombuds' is a significant of this linguistic shift reflecting broader progress in human rights principles. Although the focus is on Classical Ombuds, Corci cites materials from IOA and the UC Berkely Ombuds Office, and articles by David Rasch and David Schwartz. 

Job Posting: Bridgewater State University

BSU, the largest of nine state universities in Massachusetts, is hiring its first permanent University Ombuds. The search will fill a role held on an initial and interim basis by Pam Russell since May 2024. The new Ombuds will report to the University’s president and practice to IOA standards, providing confidential, impartial, and informal services to faculty and staff.

Job Posting: Stony Brook University

Stony Brook's health science and medical campus is seeking its first dedicated Ombudsman. The new position will supplement the work of Donna Buehler, who has served as the inaugural University Ombuds since 2014. The full-time Ombuds will practice to IOA standards and provide services to all stakeholders of Stony Brook Medicine. 

Job Re-Posting: Houston Community College

The Texas community college system has reposted its opening for a part-time Ombuds. It appears that the new position will report to Michael Edwards, who restarted the HCC Ombuds Office in early 2025. The part-time position will serve all constituents across multiple campuses, including over 52,000 students. The search first opened in August and the application requirements have not changed. .

Guest Post: Reese Ramos on the Impact of AI

In this special post, Reese Ramos, the University Ombuds & Director at Virginia Tech, offers his perspective on the growing impact of AI on Ombuds work. I deeply appreciate and respect his insights on the Ombuds profession.

Here is his full essay:

Article Examines Role of Slovenia's Athlete Ombuds

An article in the current issue of the International Sports Law Journal discusses the role of Athlete Rights Ombudsman for the Slovenian Olympic Committee, "The Athletes’ Ombudsman: integrating autonomous and heteronomous regulations for athlete protection." The author, Rožle Prezelj, urges greater emphasis on the Athletes’ Ombudsman as a legally grounded bridge between sports-organization rules and national law, arguing that this role is essential for advancing and safeguarding athletes’ rights.

Medical University of South Carolina Appoints First Ombuds

Kristin Lee Campbell has been appointed the Ombuds for faculty and post-doctoral fellows at the small private medical school in Charleston. She follows John Waller, who established the program in 2012. Campbell recently joined the faculty at MUSC faculty as an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics.

Osgoode/FCO Sets Advanced Ombuds Certificate Course for April 2026

The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman and Osgoode Professional Development are offering their intensive program on advanced Ombuds practice in April 2026. The course building on the success of the Osgoode/FCO Certificate – Essentials for Ombuds, this program is designed to teach skills for complex challenges and provides hands-on learning with leading experts and real-world case studies.

ACCUO Posts 2025 Conference Agenda

The Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (Association des ombudsmans des universités et collèges du Canada) has announced published the agenda for its 2025 conference: "Moving Forward, Never Backward." The free, half-day, online event is set for tomorrow, November 21, 2025, and is aimed at "higher education ombuds professionals from across Canada and beyond." 

Peralta Community College District Ready to Recruit First Ombuds

PCCD, which operates four community colleges in Northern California (Berkeley City College, Laney College, Merritt College, and College of Alameda) is expected to open a search for its first Ombuds. At a meeting earlier this week, the district's board of trustees unanimously approved the new, classified management position. Details regarding the search for the inaugural Ombuds are forthcoming. (PCCD Board Agenda, Consent Item 8.5, YouTube at 38:23.)

Job Posting: Berea College

The highly ranked, private liberal arts college in Kentucky has opened a search for its first Ombudsperson. The full-time position will serve faculty and staff (not the 1,500 students) following IOA standards and report to the college president. 

University of Waterloo Adds an Assistant Ombuds

In June 2024, Sam Vandekerckhove joined the Ombuds Office at Waterloo as an Associate Ombuds. He reports to Whitney Barrett and serves at the initial point of contact the program that serves over 43,000 students across multiple campuses.

Université de Sherbrooke Student Ombudsman Releases 2024–25 Annual Report

UdeS has released the 2024–25 annual report from Student Ombudsman, Marie-Claude Laquerre, and Deputy Ombudsman, Stephanie McFarland. The office received 402 new requests, including 160 related to access-to-information issues. Student requests increased 16% from the prior year, while staff requests declined 6%. Most student matters involved evaluation, enrollment, or unclear criteria, and 78% were consultations rather than formal interventions. 

Wake County Public School System Issues RFI for Ombuds Services

WCPSS, a public school district in North Carolina, has issued a request for information for Ombuds services. The announcement indicated that the large school district had given up on its recent search for an employee to serve as its first Ombuds. The RFI is intended only "to survey the market for information ... for Ombuds Services."

IOA Opens Scholarship Applications for 2026 Annual Conference

The International Ombuds Association is offering scholarships to its 2026 Annual Conference, which will take place virtually on April 13-15, 2026. The application window closes January 22, 2026. The initiative supports new and aspiring Ombuds who lack organizational or institutional funding to attend. Applicants must be IOA members with less than one year of organizational Ombuds practice.