Mount Holyoke College has named Vivian Hsu, a local employment attorney, as its next Ombudsperson. For the past 22 years, Hsu has been in private practice, specializing in employment law counseling, training programs, and mediation for a wide range of clients. In her new, part-time position, she will provide Ombuds services for all members of the Mount Holyoke campus community.
MaEwan has posted a video introducing its Student Ombudsperson, Cathryn Heslep. She explains her role on campus and offers a glimpse into her office. The video is captioned and includes graphics that highlight the ethical tenets of her practice. (YouTube.)
The California Caucus of College and University Ombuds is soliciting session proposals for its 2017 conference on November 12-15, 2017. the 44th Cal Caucus will, "explore how the contexts and circumstances in which we serve as ombuds can transform challenges into opportunities. We welcome presentations inspired by this theme."
The IOA has announced the results of its recent election for the Board of Directors. The following will begin three-year terms beginning in April 2017:
The rapidly growing public school district in southern Alberta will be appointing its first Ombudsperson. The system enrolls 8,100 students in a wide range of educational setting including: 15 community schools; 10 faith-based alternative schools; two alternative programs for Low German-speaking Mennonite families; four outreach programs; 17 Hutterian colony schools; a home schooling program and an online and international program. According to a request for proposals:
The Methodist-affiliated, HBCU medical school in Nashville, Tennessee is still seeking applications for 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."
The University of California San Francisco's Office of the Ombuds has hired Darlene Weide as the new Associate Ombuds. She has been the Executive Director of Community Boards, a mediation and conflict resolution non-profit provider in the Bay Area, for the past ten years.
John W. Zinsser has been appointed Chief Ombudsman for the international humanitarian organization. Based in Geneva, he will lead an office that serves ICRC staff in Europe, Central Asia and the Americas. Zinsser
said, “ I am honored to lead the ICRC Ombuds Network and further advance the
program’s alignment, embedment, and integration. Teaming with everyone at the
organization is a pinnacle opportunity.”
The UN-affiliated fund that assists developing countries counter climate change is hiring its first Ombudsperson. The position will report to the Fund’s Executive Director serve staff with work-related complaints, disputes and issues. The appointment will be as an international Consultant working part-time, remotely, for an initial period of 12 months. The Consultant will be required to visit the Fund’s offices in Songdo, South Korea, periodically.
The professional association for Classical Ombudsmen in the UK, Ireland, and British dependencies has posted the agenda for its annual conference. Set for May 25-26 at the Burleigh Court Conference Hotel at Loughborough University, the theme is, "Holding Up a Mirror."
In a blog post for the AOM Ethics Education Committee, Ombuds Greg Stephens discusses the meaning and relevance of 'independence.' After introducing the concept and acknowledging the IOA standards, Stephens offers an explanation relevant for his organization:
CSUSB has appointed Twillea Evans-Carthen as its next Ombudsperson for faculty, staff, and students. She has worked at the university for nearly three decades and was, most recently, the Manager of Programs and Employment in the Human Resources Department. “I’m delighted that Twillea has accepted this very important job as our university’s ombuds officer,” said university President Tomás D. Morales. “We are extremely fortunate to have someone with such extensive experience, institutional knowledge and professional integrity to fill this vital role.”
Sterling Jewelers, an American jewelry conglomerate headquartered in Akron, Ohio will create an Ombuds as a partial response to widespread claims of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. A private arbitration case includes claims by 69,000 women that they were subject to abuse and lower pay at Kay Jewelers and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry stores from the 1990s to 2005. The parent company is planning a range of initiatives to improve workplace fairness.
The UC campus in Northern California is hiring an Assistant Ombudsperson. The position "serves as the initial, and sometimes sole, contact for students [about 8,000 and growing], staff and faculty seeking assistance from the Office of Ombuds Services," and provides conflict resolution services on cases of moderate complexity.
The United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services is hiring a Regional Ombudsman for a temporary position. The position will provide Ombuds and other conflict resolution services to UN staff in Vienna and some travel may be required. The position can last up to one year.
The public research university, the oldest in South Africa, has appointed Rina Meyer to serve as its next Ombud. Her role will be, "to attend to problems and complaints of students, parents or staff in cases where the University structures are inadequate or unable to provide satisfactory solutions." She succeeds Julian Sonn, who served for the past two years.
The
Office of the UN Ombudsman and Mediation Services is accepting applications for an unpaid internship in its New York headquarters. The position is full-time and will last just two months (as opposed to the usual three to six months). Duties will depend on the intern's experience and needs of the program, but may include: outreach and advocacy; support preparing data and reports; and conducting research.
USOA has announced that its 38th annual conference will take place to be held on October 4-6, 2017 at the Drury Plaza Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. (USOA Conf Info.)
The UF College of Medicine announced the appointment of Dr. Keith Stone as its first Ombuds. Stone, a professor emeritus in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, will establish the Office of the Ombuds for Faculty on a part-time basis. Dr. Michael L. Good, Dean of the College of Medicine said, “I have full confidence in Dr. Stone’s ability to help faculty address problems through impartial listening, understanding and respect.”
KP Southern California is hiring a full-time Health Care Ombuds/Mediator for its medical facilities in Panorama City. 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 NU faculty senate has passed a resolution backing the establishment of an Ombuds program for students, faculty and staff. Senate president Prof. Laurie Zoloth noted that Northwestern's volunteer Ombuds program, which is just for faculty, is not on par with other universities. “I don’t feel entirely comfortable asking people to work for free through the University,” Zoloth told the Daily Northwestern. “At other universities this is a paid service. … It just seemed part of my impulse in being president of Senate to hold Northwestern University’s governing structure up to the standards (of other institutions).”
ADR consultants Amanda Dean and Seanan Fong offer their insights on the recent sexual harassment crisis at Uber in an article published earlier this week. Dean and Fong point out four organizational design failures at Uber: The signal ceiling; Fairness and empathy failure; No way to challenge existing conventions; and Perverse effects of well-intentioned cultural values. They explain that an Organizational Ombuds would, "connect the dots, identify trends, and report those upward to the highest level."
The United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services is hiring a Conflict Resolution Officer for a temporary position. The position will provide Ombuds and other conflict resolution services to UN headquarters staff in New York, but some travel may be required.
The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman and the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons have announced details of their biennial conference, set for May 15-17, 2017 at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. The theme of the meeting is, "The Work of Ombudsman: Holding Governments and Organizations to Account."
The United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services is hiring a Senior Conflict Resolution Officer for a temporary position of at least 11 months. The position will manage and direct the work of the Regional Ombudsman's Office in Beirut and provide Ombuds and other conflict resolution services to staff in the region, and in UNFICYP, UNDOF, and UNIFIL as well as other UN missions and duty stations as required.
Mount Holyoke College has named Vivian Hsu, a local employment attorney, as its next Ombudsperson. For the past 22 years, Hsu has been in private practice, specializing in employment law counseling, training programs, and mediation for a wide range of clients. In her new, part-time position, she will provide Ombuds services for all members of the Mount Holyoke campus community. 
