Southern Connecticut Rotary Creates Ombuds Program

Rotary District 7980, a regional district of Rotary International encompassing local clubs in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London counties, has established a three-member Conflict Resolution Team to provide an informal resource for members whose concerns cannot be resolved at the club level. The team "will be guided by" IOA’s four core principles of confidentiality, informality, neutrality and independence. The program began accepting inquiries on September 1, 2026. 

Quebec Higher Education Ombuds Association Selects 2026 Leaders

AOESQ (Association des ombudsmans en enseignement supérieur du Québec) has selected its executive committee for the coming year. The new officers are: Caroline Roy (Ombusman chez Université de Montréal), President; Marianne Leblond (Ombudsman adjointe chez Université de Montréal), Treasurer; and Stephanie Mc Farland (Ombudsman adjointe - Université de Sherbrooke), Secretary. The committee will support AOESQ members, strengthen its community of practice, and promote the Ombuds function throughout Quebec’s higher education sector. AOESQ brings together Ombuds from colleges and universities across the province. (LinkedIn.)

Pennsylvania State University Expands Grad Student Ombuds Program

The Fox Graduate School at Penn State has expanded its Graduate Student Ombudsperson Program from two faculty members to eight. Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs, Douglas Orzolek, explained that the expansion, “reflects both the need for the Ombudsperson Program and our commitment to providing a trusted, confidential avenue for guidance and support.” The new faculty Ombuds are:

North Carolina State University's Student Ombuds to Retire

Mike Giancola, NC State’s Student Ombuds, will retire from the university effective November 1 and become Dean of Students and Associate Vice Provost at the University of Pittsburgh. Giancola joined NC State in 1998 and has served as Student Ombuds since 2016. Meanwhile Bradley Davis continues as NC State’s Faculty and Staff Ombuds. NC State says it will provide information about the future of Student Ombuds Services in the coming months. (NCSU DASA News.)

Survey Finds Ombuds Offices at Nearly All Top Universities

A new report by Neil H. Katz, a professor at Nova Southeastern University, and PhD students Kadianne Pinard and Ronda Rascon examines the presence and organizational characteristics of Ombuds programs at the top 80 U.S. universities. The survey, initially conducted by graduate students in Katz’s Fall 2024 Organizational Ombuds course, was updated and expanded in July 2026 using the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings. The updated survey found that 96% of the 80 universities had established Ombuds offices, with one of the three institutions without an office considering establishing one. 

ABA Program Examines Where Mediation Meets the Ombuds World

The American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section will mark Ombuds Day 2026 with a virtual program exploring the connections between mediation and Ombuds work. “Options in Action: Where Mediation Meets the Ombuds World” will examine the shared skills and approaches of the two professions, as well as the ways different Ombuds models provide an “Office of Options” for those navigating conflict. 

Job Posting: Western University

The public university in London, Ontario, is seeking an Associate Ombudsperson for a one-year temporary, full-time contract covering a leave of absence. The on-site position reports to the University Ombuds, Mel Molnar. ;The Associate Ombuds serves as the first point of contact for students and also supports the office's administrative functions. (Stephanie Bolingbroke has served in the position since July 2025.)

Tim Griffin: Former NIU Ombuds and IOA Emeritus

Tim Griffin, who was the Ombuds at Northern Illinois University from 1991 to 2012, passed away last week at the age of 74. In addition to his 21 years as Ombuds at NIU, Griffin was an active volunteer and leader within the Ombuds profession. He established and hosted the Summer Academic Ombuds Meeting for nine years, authored several important articles about the Ombuds field, and helped train many other university Ombuds. 

Former TU/e Ombuds Seeks Redress and Compensation

Anna Soedira, the former Ombudsperson for Staff at Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, is seeking formal redress and compensation from the university following her departure in 2025. Soedira left after the university’s Executive Board withdrew its confidence in her. She is now seeking to have her reputation restored and to receive compensation, with support from the university’s representative council.

Job Posting: Kaiser Permanente, Northern California

KP is hiring a full-time HealthCare Ombuds/Mediator for its medical facilities in Walnut Creek, California. The Kaiser HCOM, "functions as a trained alternative dispute professional offering patients, family members, staff & providers a conflict management program to resolve patient/provider healthcare disputes early thereby improving patient safety & reducing the costs of health care dispute resolution." The position requires travel 50% of the time.

Get Ready for Ombuds Day 2026

The ninth annual Ombuds Day will be celebrated on Thursday, October 8, 2026, with the theme of “Ombuds: Office of Options.” More details will be posted here as plans develop. (Ombuds Day Blog; ABA Events.)

Journal of IOA: Ombuds in a Complex World

Fred Wright, Fred Wright, Workplace Conciliator (Organizational Ombuds) in the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning for Victoria, Australia, is the author of the latest article in the Journal of the International Ombuds Association. In "Ombudsing in Complex Environments," Wright argues that Ombuds need an updated role definition and knowledge base to effectively navigate increasingly complex organizational environments rather than relying on outdated professional assumptions and tools. The full article is now available online.

IOA Announces Speakers for 2026 September Symposium

The International Ombuds Association has released the agenda for its 2026 September Symposium, "Reframing Power and Influence: Exploring Intentional Ombuds Sway and the Tension Around Influence."  The event for intermediate and advanced Ombuds practitioners will take place on September 30 and October 1, 2026, at the Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, DC. 

Call for Presenters: IOA 2027 Annual Conference

The International Ombuds Association is inviting presentation proposals for its 22nd Annual Conference, which will be held in Vancouver, BC, on March 15-17, 2027. The announcement include several significant changes from last year's process, including the addition of half- and full-day pre-conference programs and a possible Research Symposium on the last day of the conference.

Call for Presentations: COFO 2026 Annual Conference

The Coalition of Federal Ombudsman is seeking proposals for presentations at its 2026 Annual Conference, which will be held in Alexandria, Virginia, on September 25, 2026. The free, hybrid event focuses on the needs of Ombuds practitioners serving in the federal government, but welcomes presenters and attendees from across the profession and broader alternative dispute resolution community.