The International Ombudsman Association will offer several training opportunities for and about Organizational Ombuds in Baltimore, MD, November 2-6, 2015. The programs include introductory, intermediate and advanced topics.
The graduate and professional health sciences school has named Karen D. Johnson to be its first University Ombudsperson. According to a brief announcement, she will "respond to inquiries from students and other institutional stakeholders regarding the University's policies and practices." The university has campuses in Downers Grove, IL, and Glendale, AZ, and enrolls about 5,500 students in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, optometry, veterinary medicine, and the health sciences.
The historically black, private university in Washington, D.C. has appointed Calvin Hadley as its first Student Ombudsman. According to an announcement from Howard's President, "As ombudsman, Mr. Hadley will serve as student advocate, to investigate student complaints and expedite solutions."
The international financial aid organization has opened its search for its next Ombudsperson. The selected candidate will be expected to take up the position in Washington, D.C. preferably in the beginning of 2016. The Ombudsperson’s term of service is intended to be for a non-renewable seven–year term, with an initial contract for two years. Lois Petzold is the current IMF Ombuds.
The state college in Albany, which is part of the University System of Georgia, has named Wendy Wilson to open its first Ombuds Office. As Campus Ombudsperson, Wilson works with about 6,600 students and employees, and has oversight of the Campus Mediation Program. She reports directly to Darton's President.
The public, liberal arts university in Allendale, Michigan has appointed Takeelia Garrett to serve as its first Student Ombuds. The position is within the Dean of Students Office and serves a student population of about 25,000 undergraduates and graduates. Garrett has two decades of experience in student affairs and after-hours crisis management, and most recently worked as GVSU's Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life. (GVSU Ombuds.)
The European Network of Ombudsmen in Higher Education is assisting the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education in England and Wales conduct research about the diversity of practice among campus Ombuds. OIA is seeking responses before Friday, October 2, 2015. (ENOHE News.)
The global marketing research firm headquartered in New York City is hiring Vice President, Ombudsman. The new position is responsible for overseeing, coordinating and facilitating the identification, documentation, reporting, investigation and resolution of employee concerns. The company employs about 40,000 in 100 countries.
The large public university in Atlanta has reopened its search for a full-time Associate Director for its Office of the Ombudsperson. The position support the Director, Kelley Alexander, in providing conflict management services for GSU’s faculty, staff and students on four campuses.
The urban public school system in New York is hiring a Chief Ombuds Officer. The position answers directly to the District Superintendent, and assists stakeholders with issues relating to the District’s discipline policies and supports administrators and teachers in improving school climate. No particular education or experience is required, No application deadline or salary indicated.
The Ombudsman for Public Education, Joyanna Smith, says that the caseload to her office more than tripled last year. Smith, Associate Ombudsman Elizabeth Tossell, seven fellows, and two interns, handled 469 cases in 2014-15 compared to 150 in the prior academic year. About 88% of the cases were resolved within the same year.
When he became the Ombudsman for Students at the University of Leiden in May, Eugène van der Heijden inherited 35 cases from his predecessor, Jacqueline van Meerkerk. Since then, he has received 45 more. All of his cases involve students who they think they have been treated improperly by a staff member or by one of the university’s administrative bodies.
The VT has named Monique McKay to serve as its Graduate School Ombudsperson. As the Graduate School Ombudsperson, she will serve approximately 7,000 graduate students at the Blacksburg campus and other campuses in the commonwealth. She takes over the office from the founding Ombuds, Ennis McCrery.
The latest issue of UN Special, the magazine for international civil servants, includes a profile of José Martínez-Aragón, who became the Ombudsman for the World Health Organization, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations International Computing Centre (ICC) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in January 2015. He says, “As a long-term goal, my objective is to develop and strengthen a workplace culture based on trust which upholds fundamental values such as respect, integrity, civility and non-discrimination.”
The Ombuds Office for the University of Colorado Denver, including the Anschutz medical campus, has recently been designated as a confidential resource for Title IX purposes. The Ombuds Office is one of three university resources that are confidential unless thre is "a reasonable cause to believe that the person sharing information with them is dangerous to themselves or others."
The land-grant research university in Oktibbeha County has appointed R. Hart Bailey as its first University Ombudsman. Practicing to IOA standards, Bailey will serve about 6,000 faculty and staff at four campuses around the state. The office was established pursuant to a charter in fall 2014 and its website went live just days ago.
According to an announcement from IOA, Distinguished Emeritus Member Carolyn Stieber, passed away on Saturday September 12, 2015. Steiber was appointed Michigan State University's second Ombuds in 1974 and held the position for 17 years, from 1974-1991. Stieber was member of an infomal group of Ombuds in the Midwest that evolved into the University and College Ombudsman Association.
Brad Ginn, the NEIU Employee Ombuds, will speak to the Association for Conflict Resolution Chicago Area Chapter at noon on Friday, October 16, 2015. The topic of the free and open-to-the-public event is, "The Unique Role of an Organizational Ombuds."
The American Indian tribe, one of the largest employers in California's Inland Empire, is hiring an Ombudsman. The full-time position is located in Highland and serve the tribe's 3,500 employees, most of whom work in a casino. The program was established by Theresa Prator in 2012.
The Coalition of Federal Ombuds has published the details of its 2015 annual conference, set for September 30, 2015 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, DC. The event will feature Howard Gadlin as keynote speaker and special guest Mary Rowe.
Tom Sebok, the Ombuds at the University of Colorado-Boulder, will keynote VCU's Third Annual National Conflict Resolution Day. William King, the VCU University Ombudsperson will host the event on Thursday, October 15, 2015, which is free and open to the public. (VCU Ombuds Events.)
WUSTL has expanded its Ombuds program with the addition of its first Ombudsperson for Staff, Jessica Kuchta-Miller, who starts today. comes She to comes to the new position from the University of Colorado Boulder, where she was the Associate University Ombuds for the past two years. Kuchta-Miller offices on the main WUSTL campus and the medical campus. Kuchta-Miller will join Linda Nicholson, who has been the Ombuds for faculty since September 2012. (WUSTL News.)
CU-Boulder has opened a search to replace its long-time Ombuds Office Director, Tom Sebok. The position provides overall direction for the work of the office in offering confidential, informal, impartial, and independent conflict management and consultation services to about 38,000 students, faculty, staff and administrators. Applicants must have an advanced degree in a relevant field and at least five years of experience. The position pays at least $80,000 and applications should be submitted by September 23, 2015. Sebok is expected to remain in the position until the end of the year to assist with the transition.
After 17 years as the University Ombuds, Roxanne “Ellen” Schreiber will retire from UI on October 30, 2015. Schreiber is currently a director for the International Ombudsman Association and was the keynote speaker at the 2013 IOA conference. (UI Argonaut.)
OSU has named Kenneth Bartels to serve as its next Ombuds Officer. Bartles is a professor emeritus in the OSU Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, after retiring in June 2015. A native of Iowa, Bartels came to OSU in 1982 and served as professor of veterinary clinical sciences, McCasland Professor of Laser Surgery and Kerr Foundation Chair for Biomedical Laser and Biophotonics Research.
International Ombudsman Association Board President, Mauricio (Reese) Ramos, will be presenting along with Rita Callahan (Associate Ombuds at UC Davis) and Barbara Beatty (Deputy Dispute Resolution Officer at the Texas Department of Public Safety) a session entitled, “Cross Fertilization: Organizational Ombuds and Other Conflict Management Practitioners – Expanding Your Toolboxes” at the upcoming ACR Annual Conference in Reno, NV on October 10.
The International Ombudsman Association's signature training will be offered in partnership with South Africa's Department of Higher Education and Training, and UCT on September 28 through October 1, 2015 Graduate School of Business's Breakwater campus. Zetu Makamandela-Mguqulwa, UCT's Ombud will be the host.
International Ombudsman Association President Reese Ramos says that the Board of Directors has appointed new members. The announcement from Ramos said:
A recent article in the campus newspaper at Oslo and Akershus University recaps the recent bloom of Ombuds programs at Norwegian universities. The University of Oslo appointed the country's first Student Ombuds (studentombud) in 2013: Marianne Høva Rustberggard. This year, she was joined by Anita Tøien Johansen at Oslo and Akershus University College; Dennis Aske at the University of Stavanger; Torill Varberg at the University of Tromsø; and Sylvi Leirvaag at the University of Bergen. All have reported strong demand for their service.
Bernadette M. Agresti has been named as the next University Ombudsperson for the a private, university in Erie, PA. Agresti is an Instructor in Gannon's Legal Studies program and has been the Program Director since 1986. She reports directly to the University President. (Faculty Profile.)
