Ohio State University Seeks Next Faculty Ombuds

Ohio State is seeking its next Faculty Ombuds following Mollie Blackburn’s transition to associate chair in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Blackburn has served in the role since 2021, providing advice and support to faculty colleagues. Eligible professors and tenured associate professors are invited to apply for a position with a target start date of December 2026 or January 2027. Rebeka Campos-Astorkiza continues as the Ombuds for Graduate and Professional Student. (Office of Academic Affairs.)

Job Posting: U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee

USOPC is seeking an Assistant Athlete Ombuds to join its Office of the Athlete Ombuds, which provides dispute-resolution services to Team USA athletes. The full-time, remote position reports to Kacie Wallace, the Team USA Athlete Ombuds, and is designed for an early-career attorney. Responsibilities include advising athletes about their rights and options under applicable laws and sports regulations, conflict coaching, facilitated communication, mediation, and other dispute-resolution processes. Additional duties include case management, trend analysis, reporting, technology and AI initiatives, and support for athletes at major competitions. The position may require nontraditional hours and domestic and international travel. 

Spoken in Confidence Podcast: Chuck Howard Talks About Ombuds Confidentiality

Sana Manjeshwar’s Spoken in Confidence podcast released a new episode on Ombuds Day, featuring Chuck Howard, widely recognized as a leading legal authority on Ombuds confidentiality in the United States. Howard’s introduction to the profession came in 1990, when he successfully defended an Organizational Ombuds office in a federal court case, asserting a confidentiality privilege grounded in Federal Rule of Evidence 501 and an implied contract of confidentiality. 

University of Tennessee, Knoxville Ombuds Reports on FY2026

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT), Office of Ombuds Services, led by University Ombudsperson and Director Lisa C. Yamagata-Lynch, served 363 individuals and conducted 622 consultations during FY2026, according to its annual report. Of the 137 respondents to its visitor satisfaction survey, 136 (99.3%) expressed overall satisfaction with their consultations. In May 2026, IOA recognized the office as one of the inaugural Certified Ombuds Offices. 

Job Posting: North Carolina A&T State University

NCAT, the public research university and nation's largest HBCU, is seeking its first Ombudsperson to establish and lead a new Ombuds Office to serve faculty and staff. The permanent, full-time position reports to the Chancellor through the Chief of Staff and operates in accordance with IOA standards. The position is hybrid, with part-time work on campus, although employees are generally required to reside in North Carolina within a two-hour commuting distance of the campus in Greensboro. 

Job Posting: University of Colorado Boulder

Colorado's flagship public university is seeking an Associate Ombuds to join its Ombuds Office. The search will fill the position held by Jason Q. Sinocruz for the past year. The office is led by Director Kirsi Aulin and includes Associate Ombuds Detric Robinson, and two Faculty Ombuds, Keith Maskus and JoAnn Silverstein. The full-time position is based in Boulder and offers a hybrid work arrangement. 

Asian Development Bank Ombuds Reports Continued Workplace Strain

ADB’s Office of the Ombudsperson handled 417 cases involving 2,160 issues in 2025, according to its latest annual report, jointly prepared by Ombuds Anje Schubert and Wayne Blair. Group climate and supervision were the largest areas of concern, each accounting for 25% of issues, followed by peer and colleague relationships at 19%. The Ombuds reported continued concerns about team dynamics, workload, trust, communication, and workplace relationships, with concerns related to supervision increasing notably. 

Happy Ombuds Day 2026

The ninth annual Ombuds Day takes place today, October 8, 2026. This year’s theme is “Ombuds: Office of Options,” highlighting the role of Ombuds in helping people navigate conflict, develop options, and address concerns informally. Head over to the Ombuds Day website for information about events, proclamations, and other ways to recognize the day. (Ombuds Day Blog.)

University of Massachusetts Amherst Expands Ombuds Office

UMass Amherst has added Liza Joy Marcato as an Assistant Ombudsperson, expanding the Ombuds Office led by Colette Carmouche and Associate Ombuds Kenneth Russell. Marcato was appointed in May 2026 and works with students, staff, and faculty. She previously served for 18 years as an ordained priest, leading congregations in the United States, Canada, and Germany, and also worked as a department administrator at Harvard Divinity School and as a residential counselor at a Vermont boarding school. 

Mount St. Mary's University Adds Ombuds

The private university in Maryland has added Christina Green as an Ombuds, filling a position established by Love Sechrest. Green is an Associate Professor in the school of business and joined the university in 2016. She previously spent 12 years in the banking industry in management, training, and development. Green joins Jack Trammell, who has served as the university’s lead Ombuds since the office was established in 2023.

Erasmus University Ombuds Reports Lack of Confidence in Social Safety Systems

An Ombuds Officer for Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Wico Verbaan, reports that employees and students have limited confidence in the university’s systems for reporting and addressing concerns about social safety. In his 2025 annual report, Verbaan notes that many people choose confidential reporting because they do not trust that existing procedures will adequately protect them if they come forward. In 2025, he received 140 cases, including 65 involving psychosocially inappropriate behavior, compared with 38 such cases in each of the previous two years. 

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.