Job Posting: World Bank

The World Bank Group has opened a search for an Ombuds.  The position is based in Washington, DC but is expected to travel regularly to other WBG offices. The appointment is for a five-year term, which may be renewed for an additional five-year term.

Fellowship Opportunity: D.C. Schools Ombuds

The Ombudsman for Public Education in Washington DC is accepting applications for its third cohort of fellows. The Ombudsman Fellows will, "work directly with families, learn about the education system in DC, learn about conflict resolution, develop creative problem solving skills, and develop expertise on issues including special education, student discipline, truancy, and bullying prevention." The part-time, year-long fellowship offers academic credit or a stipend.

Job Posting: Meharry Medical College

The Methodist-affiliated, HBCU medical school in Nashville, Tennessee is hiring its first Ombudsman. The full-time position will work with Meharry's 700 students, plus staff, faculty, and administrators. The MMC Ombuds will be expected be a member of IOA, "in order to stay on the leading edge of critical ombudsman issues, such as confidentiality and privilege." 

Job Posting: Central Michigan University

The public research university in Mount Pleasant is hiring a full-time Ombudsperson. The position is located in the department of Enrollment and Student Services, and will work with the university's 29,000 students. The position has been held by Director of Brad Kloha, who was also Director of Administration/Enrollment and Student Services. 

Ombuds Training to be Offered in Virginia, October 2016

The International Ombudsman Association will offer several training programs for Organizational Ombuds in Alexandria, Virginia October 17-21, 2016.  The offerings are aimed at aspiring, novice, and experienced Ombuds.

Job Posting: Smith College

The private women's liberal arts college in Northampton, Massachusetts has opened a search for a part-time Ombuds. The position will work with faculty and staff about eight hours a week. A hire will restore an Ombuds program that was closed in 2009. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and training in mediation/conflict resolution. An advanced degree is preferred.  No deadline or salary indicated.  (Smith Posting.)

University of Alabama at Birmingham Appoints First Ombuds

Michelle Fanucchi has been named the first Faculty Ombudsperson for UAB. She will work with about 2,100 faculty and report directly to the Office of the Provost.  

Nova Southeastern University Awards Scholarship for Ombuds Research

The private university in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida has awarded the James O. Elmore Scholarship to PhD candidate Alicia Booker for work on the Administrative Conference of the United States research project “Ombudsman in Federal Agencies: Programs and Practices” and the IOA Remuneration Surveys. 

IOA Pushes Back on Department of Education's Stance on Clery Act

The International Ombudsman Association has responded to a recent statement by the U.S. Department of Education that Ombuds "generally meet the criteria" for mandatory reporting of campus crimes under the Clery Act.  For many years,  whether an Ombuds would be required to break confidentiality and report details of crimes has been considered a non-issue within the profession. A letter from IOA President Reese Ramos explains how the Department's updated handbook for Clery compliance "seriously misrepresents" the role of Ombuds.

University of Utah Health Sciences Names Second Ombuds

Associate Professor Jim Ruble became an Health System Ombudsman for the U of U earlier this month.  He joins Michael Cohen, who created the program in early 2015, to serve more than 14,000 faculty and staff.

FCO/Osgoode Opens Registration for Fall 2016 Ombuds Certificate Program

The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman and Osgoode Hall Law School at York University will offer their certificate program, Essentials for Ombuds, September 26-30, 2016 in downtown Toronto.  This is the fourth annual offering of the program.

Montgomery College Hires New Ombuds

Julie Schwartz Weber has been named the second Ombuds for Montgomery College.  She will be the first full-time Ombuds for the community college just outside Washington, D.C.  Sarah Miller Espinosa, who set up the office in August 2013, will stay on as a Special Assistant to the President to help expand the Ombuds Office to students in 2017.

Ombuds at University of North Dakota Posts First Report

Henok Elias, who became UND's first full-time Ombuds in November 2015, has posted a report the work of his office in the first five months of 2016.  The report offers Elias's personal view of the campus climate and his role as the Ombuds.

Georgia State University Expands Ombuds Office With Two New Hires

The GSU Office of the Ombudsperson has appointed Birthe Reimers and Chris Vermillion as Assistant Ombudspersons, joining Director and University Ombudsperson Kelley Alexander after a national search.  The new hires dramatically expand the ability of the office to provide Ombuds services to over 40,000 faculty, staff, and students.   (GSU Ombuds.)

Job Posting: Food and Drug Administration

The FDA's Ombudsman & Conflict Prevention and Resolution Office in Silver Spring, MD is hiring a Conflict Prevention and Resolution Specialist. The position will serve as an ADR expert for agency workplace disputes. Occasional travel to field offices may be required.

Barnard College Announces First Ombuds

Barnard has appointed Judit Revesz to be the college's first Ombuds Officer and serve faculty, students, staff, and administrators starting in August. Revesz comes from the United Nations Office of the Ombudsman for Funds and Programmes, where she has worked as a case officer since 2011.

Job Posting: Kent State University

The public research university in Ohio has opened a search for its next Student Ombuds.   The full-time position assists a student body of 41,000 with university-related concerns, complaints, and grievances.  The search will fill a position held by Jennifer Kulics since 2012 and who was recently promoted to Dean of Students.

United States Ombudsman Association Opens Registration for 2016 Conference in Virginia

USOA has announced the details of its 37th annual conference to be held on October 19-21, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia.  "The Ombudsman: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Fairness" will feature presentations from many of the leading public sector Ombuds.  The conference will be preceded by two workshops on October 17 and 18.

Job Posting: Southern New Hampshire University

The private, nonprofit, and nonsectarian university is hiring a "Director Campus Operations and Student Ombudsperson." The full-time position will serve as the principal director for the Office of the President and as the President's primary liaison, and as the Ombuds for student issues.  (SNHU has 3,000 students on campus and 65,000 online.) The university conducted a search for a dedicated Ombuds one year ago, but that apparently was never filled.

Job Posting: Intelligence Community Civilian Joint Duty Program

The civilian personnel rotation program for U.S. intelligence employees is hiring its first Organizational Ombudsman. "A primary goal [of the position] is to establish the base infrastructure for an ombudsman within the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A). The ombudsman will be an independent, neutral, informal, and confidential resource that will help resolve individual and systemic issues affecting I&A." The full-time position will be located in Washington, DC. 

U.S. Department of Education Suggests University Ombuds Should Report Crime Statistics

A recent DOE publication offering guidance on the Clery Act says that Ombuds should be reporting campus crime data.  The Clery Act is a federal statute that requires colleges and universities to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their campuses.  Failure to comply can impact federal funding.  Under the law, “Campus Security Authorities” are required to disclose any and all reports of crime, which are then collectively reported by the campus.  Previously the agency had declined to categorize Ombuds as Campus Security Authorities and the International Ombudsman Association has always asserted that doing so would conflict with Ombuds’ basic duty of confidentiality.  The DOE’s change in position was therefore unexpected and concerning.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Ombuds Retires

Cottrell Webster, who has served as the Ombudsman for the FDIC since 2002, retired last week. Gordon Talbot, an Associate Ombudsman, will serve as Acting FDIC Ombudsman pending a search for a a permanent replacement. 

Job Posting: Georgia State University

The GSU Office of the Ombudsperson has re-posted its opening for a full-time Assistant Ombudsperson.  (The prior search closed May 13, 2016.)  The primary responsibility of the postion is providing conflict management services for over 32,0000 students on four campuses.  In addition, the Assistant Ombuds will manage Graduate Research Assistants, student assistants, and interns; assists with tasks related to the Annual Conflict Resolution Symposium; and performs other administrative duties.

Job Posting: UC San Francisco

UCSF has opened a search for its next Ombuds Director.  The campus is a center of health sciences research, patient care, and graduate education; it enrolls 5,000 students and employs 22,000.  The Ombuds Director reports to the Vice Provost-Academic Affairs lead an office of two other Ombuds and an administrative position.

ICANN to Reevaluate Ombuds Role

As the five-year tenure of Ombudsman Chris LaHatte draws to a close, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will seek input on possible changes to the position.  According to a statement from ICANN Board Chair, Steve Crocker, the organization is seeking community feedback, "which will determine what the role of the ICANN Ombudsman will look like in the future.

Meet Marshall Space Flight Center’s New Ombuds

In May 2016, Nelson Parker was named the an Ombudsman for the civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center in Huntsville, Alabama, the largest NASA center.  He replaces Pam Caruso, who retired in early 2016, and joins Susan Cloud to serve more than 7,000 government and contract employees at NASA's largest center.