IOA Foundations Course Coming to San Francisco and Ottawa in May 2026

The International Ombuds Association will offer its signature, in-person training only twice this year. (There are nine opportunities to take Foundations virtually.) The three-day training is set for May 4-6 in San Francisco, California, and May 13-15 in Ottawa, Ontario. Registration is now open and registration is capped at 36 participants for each course.

Medizinische Hochschule Hannover Names Next Ombuds

Karin Weißenborn has been appointed the next Ombudsperson at The Hannover Medical School in Germany. She follows Thomas Werfel, who served for 12 years in the role and who will now be the Deputy Ombuds. As the MHH Ombuds, Weissenborn promotes the fair resolution of conflicts of interest and helps clarify or prevent unfair work in scientific research at the university. She explained, "As Ombudsperson, I make every effort to resolve conflicts neutrally, objectively and in a solution-oriented manner, and I hope for the support of the respective parties to the conflict." 

Video: From Decision Scientist to Ombuds

In a video interview conducted at the Society for Medical Decision Making last year, Scott B. Cantor recounts his professional journey from full-time decision scientist to Ombuds. (Cantor has been an Ombuds with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center since 2018.) In the interview, he describes how principles of decision science inform his current practice, including how he assesses options, supports difficult choices, and approaches conflict resolution.

Job Posting: Northeastern Illinois University

The public state university in North Park, Chicago is seeking its next Ombuds. The search will reopen a program that has been dormant since 2022, when the prior Ombuds, Tyler Smith, returned to the National Institutes of Health. The NEIU Ombuds is a full-time, IOA compliant position that reports to the University President and serves faculty, staff, and 8,000 students. 

University of Iowa Seeks Next Faculty Ombuds

The public research university in Iowa City has opened an internal search for its next Faculty Ombuds. (Meenakshi Gigi Durham has served in the role since 2021.) The part-time position will join an office that includes University Ombudsperson, Chanelle Reese, and Associate Ombuds, Corey P. Pass, . There is an on-going search for an Assistant Ombuds.

ABA House of Delegates Endorses Organizational Ombuds Practices Act

The American Bar Association House of Delegates has adopted Resolution 503, endorsing the Organizational Ombuds Practices Act and urging states to adopt it. The resolution reflects decades of ABA engagement with Organizational Ombuds work and marks a significant step toward clarifying and protecting standards of practice. The next phase will be state-level adoption and, ultimately, codification of the Act in statute. 

Dutch Union Examines Growth in University Ombuds

An article published this week by the Algemene Onderwijsbond, the Netherlands’ largest education-sector union, reviews the implementation of mandatory university Ombuds offices four years after their inclusion in the 2021 collective labor agreement. While every university is now required to provide staff access to an Ombuds, the article reports uneven implementation, including departures and dismissals of Ombuds at some institutions. Interviews with practitioners and union representatives highlight wide variation in mandate, scope, staffing levels, and institutional support, particularly regarding whether Ombuds are empowered to conduct independent investigations and influence structural change. 

Emeritus Ombuds on Distinguishing Program Structure From Embeddedness

In a recent post on his blog, Bruce MacAllister examines the growing confusion in Ombuds discourse around the term “embedded,” particularly when it is used interchangeably to describe both an Ombuds program’s structural placement and an Ombuds’ depth of organizational fluency. 

Job Posting: Union for Reform Judaism

URJ, the New York-based nonprofit representing over a third of adult American Jews is seeking its next Ombuds. The search will fill a position established by Caroline Cuneo in 2022. The remote, hourly contract role will provide services for community members across URJ worksites and programs, including 14 residential camps. The Ombuds will support individual conflict resolution, provide group facilitation when appropriate, and identify systemic concerns following IOA standards. The position is expected to average 15–20 hours per month and starts ASAP. 

University of Colorado Boulder Names Second Associate Ombuds

CU Boulder has hired Detric Robinson as Associate Ombuds. He joins an Ombuds office led by Director Kirsi Aulin and including Associate Ombuds Jason J. Sinocruz and two Faculty Ombuds. Robinson will provide services to students, staff, faculty, and administrators, and supports outreach efforts, focusing on undergraduate students.

World Health Organization Affirms Support for Ombuds Program

At its most recent meeting, the WHO's the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board the Ombudsperson's 2025 report. Executive Board members expressed support for the Ombuds function and the need to ensure adequate resources across all regions. In response to the noted vacancies in Ombuds positions at headquarters and in the Africa, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific regions, the committee promised to expedite

Job Posting: University of Virginia

Virginia’s flagship public university is seeking its next University Ombuds. The search will fill a position held by Amanda Monaco since 2022. The UVA Ombuds manages a program that serves nearly 40,000 faculty, staff, and students and supervises the UVA Health Ombuds, Henry Yampolsky, and a Program Coordinator. The position budgetarily reports to the AVP for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, but maintains strict independence in its casework and direct lines of communication with university leadership.

SAP Adds an Ombuds for India and Asia-Pacific

SAP has appointed Ranju Gupta as its first Ombudsperson for India and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, based in Bengaluru. The appointment expands the reach of the SAP Global Ombuds Office, which is headed by Carsten Pöschl and also includes Danillo Alves for SAP Americas and Agnes Eising for EMEA. 

Job Posting: University for Peace

The United Nations affiliated university in Costa Rica is seeking an Ombudsperson for a one-year contractual appointment, with the possibility of extension. The search will fill a position held by Laura Navarrete since 2022. The part-time role (about four hours per week) reports to the Rector. The position is is focused on enforcement of institutional policies and compliance with Costa Rican law, a significant change from the search that created the position. Several included duties are outside the scope of IOA standards, including: receiving and acting on complaints; advising disciplinary panels; and organizing investigations.

IOA Seeks Feedback on Revised SOPs and Code of Ethics

The International Ombuds Association Board of Directors has convened a task force to review professional Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics as part of the Board's regular review cycle. The task force shared its proposals on January 28 and now solicits feedback from members for input on the meaning, interpretation, and practice alignment of the proposed revisions. Online feedback sessions and regional meetings are offered over the next several weeks. In general, the revisions aim to better reflect the complexities of modern workplaces and to better integrate the primary ethical standards.