Ombuds Academy to Discuss Cases That Haunt Practitioners

Ombuds Academy will host The Haunted Ombuds Office: 7 Things That Linger After the Visitor Leaves, a discussion of the experiences that can stay with Ombuds after a case ends. Tom Kosakowski, a University Ombuds at the University of Southern California, will join Ombuds Academy founder Reese Ramos for the first of two sessions on October 9. The program is intended for practicing Ombuds. The free session will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ET on October 9, with a second session to follow. (Ombuds Academy.)

Massachusetts Bar Association to Present Program on Ombuds

Mass Bar’s Dispute Resolution Section will present a program on Ombuds on October 15. The virtual program, “Lawyers and Ombuds: Exploring the Organizational Ombuds Role,” will feature Israela Brill-Cass, Ombud for Wesleyan University, Clark University, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Kenneth Russell, Associate Ombudsperson at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Job Posting: Seminole Tribe of Florida

The federally recognized tribal government in Broward County, is seeking a Director for its Office for Tribal Member Support and Information. The full-time position, based in Hollywood, Florida, will establish and lead an office that assists Tribal Members in navigating Tribal Government services and community resources. The Director reports regularly to the Tribal Council and will provide guidance, manage informal investigations, facilitate resolutions, and recommend systemic improvements.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Announces Next Ombuds

UTC has named Caitlan Hendrickson as its new University Ombudsperson. She started on October 1 and succeeds Anovia Slaughter, UTC’s inaugural Ombuds. Hendrickson brings more than 20 years of Ombuds and conflict resolution experience. She previously served as an Ombuds at the University of Arizona, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the United Nations Funds and Programmes, and as a contract Ombuds through MWI. (UTC Blog.)

Berea College Appoints First Ombuds

Anovia Slaughter has been selected as the inaugural Ombuds for the highly ranked, private liberal arts college in Kentucky. Slaughter, who previously served as the inaugural University Ombuds at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, began her new position in August 2026. The full-time position serves Berea faculty and staff and follows IOA standards. It reports to the college president and does not serve Berea's approximately 1,500 students.

University of Idaho Adds a Student Ombuds

The University of Idaho has named Mario Pile as its new Student Ombuds. Pile joins David Talbot in the Ombuds Office and brings more than 20 years of experience in youth development, education, student advocacy, and public service. His appointment returns the Student Ombuds position to the university. 

University of West Bohemia Expands Student Ombuds Program

UWB (Západočeská univerzita v Plzni) in Pilsen, Czech Republic, has expanded its student Ombuds program, adding teams at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Design and Art Ladislav Sutnar. The university now has Student Ombuds at five of its faculties, alongside university-wide Ombuds Petr Šimon. The student Ombuds provide independent and confidential assistance to students dealing with academic and personal problems, including inappropriate behavior, discrimination, harassment, and conflicts with lecturers or classmates. 

Systematic Review Examines Ombuds Institutions in European Higher Education

Jorge A. Ribeiro-Pereira, the former Student Ombudsman at the Universidade da Beira Interior in Portugal, is one of three authors of a new study examining Ombuds institutions in European higher education. The chapter, “Conceptualizing Ombudsman Institutions in European Higher Education Area: Analytical Models from a Systematic Literature Review,” appears in Openness: A Mission Challenged published by Brill last month. Ribeiro-Pereira, Ana I. Melo, and Teresa Carvalho reviewed the scholarly literature on higher-education Ombuds in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), examining how different institutional models relate to the governance and autonomy of higher-education institutions. 

University of North Carolina Wilmington Offers Ombuds Graduate Course

The state research university in Southeast North Carolina is again offering a graduate-level course on Organizational Ombuds. CMR 523 is a three-credit course in UNCW's Master of Arts in Conflict Management and Resolution program. The course provides foundational training for the Organizational Ombuds role and is intended for practicing Ombuds, people interested in becoming Ombuds, and administrators considering establishing an Organizational Ombuds function. The course is also available through UNCW's post-baccalaureate certificate in Conflict Management and Resolution. Kimrey Rhinehardt, a faculty member in the program, teaches the course. 

Cascadia College Launches Ombuds Pilot

The public community college in Bothell, Washington, has launched a pilot Ombuds program for faculty and students. Ana Nina, Director of Inclusion, Advocacy, and Community Programs for the past three years, has adding the Ombuds role to her existing position. The college describes the Ombuds as an impartial, informal, independent, and confidential resource for addressing conflicts and identifying systemic issues. The pilot is intended to run through the 2026–27 academic year, after which the college will evaluate the program and make adjustments as necessary. 

Nature Highlights Ombuds Role for PhD Students Changing Labs

A recent article in Nature examines how PhD students can change laboratories or advisers when their research interests, working styles, or mentoring relationships are no longer a good fit. The article, “How do I change labs gracefully during my PhD?”, draws on advice from graduate students, academic leaders, a career counsellor, and two Ombuds: Ellen Goldstein, at the University of California San Francisco, and Shirley Nakata, Ombudsperson for Students at the University of British Columbia. 

IOA Opens Nominations for 2027 Distinguished Emeriti Ombuds.

The International Ombuds Association is soliciting nominations for its annual Distinguished Emeritus Award. Each year, the IOA Board of Directors recognizes a small number of retired Ombuds for their outstanding and dedicated service to the organization and the Ombuds profession more broadly.

European Ombuds & Mediators Gather in Salzburg

The European Ombuds and Mediators Group, IOA's Regional Advancement Community, met September 16–17 in Salzburg, Austria, hosted by Salzburg Global. Ombuds participants included: Jan Galkowski, Ombuds with MWI and former Ombuds at Uniwersytet Rzeszowski; Tuba Bilecik, Ombudsperson at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory; Carsten Pöschl, Global Corporate Ombudsperson at SAP; Spyridon (“Spyros”) Antonelos, Head of the Mediation & Ombuds Function at the European Central Bank; and Ion (“Ninel”) Anghel, Director of the PetrOmbudsman Department at OMV Petrom. The meeting provided an opportunity for European Organizational Ombuds to exchange experiences and discuss developments in the profession. (LinkedIn Galkowski, Poschl, Antonelos.) 

New York University Names First Administrator Ombuds

NYU has appointed Seamus Mullin as its first Administrator Ombudsperson. In this new role, he will provide services for administrators to discuss workplace concerns off the record, explore options, receive coaching and referrals, and raise systemic concerns. The office follows IOA standards and starts operations on October 1, 2026.

Article Examines Psychological Safety and Organizational Ombuds in Higher Education

An article in the Journal of Education Human Resources examines the lived experiences of Organizational Ombuds and their relationship to psychological safety in higher education. In “You Are Safe Here: The Lived Experiences of Organizational Ombuds and Psychological Safety in Higher Education,” Angella J. Wint, Cristobal Salinas, Jr., and Deborah L. Floyd use a phenomenological study to explore how Ombuds understand psychological safety and how those experiences inform their work with university constituents. Wint has been the Ombuds for Florida Atlantic University since 2019. 

AOESQ to Host Ombuds Day Webinar

Association des ombudsmans en enseignement supérieur du Québec (Quebec Higher Education Ombuds Association) will host a free webinar on October 8, 2026, as part of Ombuds Day. Anaïs Lacroix, Ombuds at VIA Rail, will discuss how an Ombuds function can evolve to build trust and increase its organizational impact while preserving independence. The program will be moderated by Annick Dallaire, Commissioner for Complaints and Service Quality and Vice President of ARGP, and Caroline Roy, Ombuds at the Université de Montréal and President of AOESQ. 

Colorado Springs Schools Ombuds Sues After Administrators Seize Files

Colorado Springs School District 11, the central public school system in Colorado’s second-largest city, has been sued by its Ombuds, Natasha Bullard Ka’onohi. Her complaint alleges that Deputy Superintendent Brandan Comfort entered her office and removed confidential files, including a file containing informal employee complaints and concerns about Superintendent Michael Gaal. Ka’onohi, who has served as District 11’s Director of Equal Opportunity Programs & Ombudservice since 2023, filed the lawsuit against Comfort and Gaal on September 8. According to the district's website, the Ombudservice is an independent and confidential resource for students, parents, and staff, and does not keep written records. 

Job Posting: Johns Hopkins University

JHU is seeking an Associate Ombudsperson to join its Ombuds Office. The full-time, remote position will report to University Ombudsperson Annalisa Peterson and serve staff, graduate and postdoctoral students, fellows, and programs following IOA standards. The position requires some travel to JHU campuses. 

Job Posting: International Organization for Migration, Kenya

IOM is hiring a Conflict Resolution Officer to be based in Nairobi. Reporting to the Deputy Ombudsperson, the P-3 position provides case management, research, trend analysis, reporting, outreach, and training following IOA standards. The search will fill the role most recently held by Hans Kohler. 

Utrecht University Offers Masterclass on Ombuds Practice

Universiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands will offer a five-day training Ombudsfunctionaris in breed perspectief (“Ombudsfunctionaris in Broad Perspective”) on November 23–27, 2026. The program is intended for Ombuds and related professionals, including Classical Ombudsmen, working in areas such as complaints handling, mediation, HR, legal assistance, governance, compliance, and policy advising.