Job Posting: American Red Cross

The U.S. humanitarian organization has opened a search for an Associate Ombudsman. The position reports to the Red Cross Corporate Ombudsman, Jacqueline Villafañe, CO-OP, and serves employees and volunteers, recipients of services, donors, suppliers, partners, and the general public. The work includes conducting case intake, providing referral services, assisting in surfacing issues and trends, identifying options and resolving the concerns of constituents. The Assistant Ombuds also manages the administrative needs and day to day operations of the Ombuds Office including case management data entry and reporting. This is a work from home/remote position that can be based anywhere in the U.S. 

Denver Public Schools Creates Ombuds Office

Sharon R. Bailey has been named the first Ombudsperson for the large public school system in Colorado. Bailey will serve only employees, currently about 15,000, who work at more than 200 schools. She comes to the position after five years as the manager of the district's diversity, equity, and inclusion program. The new DPS Office of the Ombudsperson practices to IOA standards. 

Job Posting: Auckland University of Technology

The large public university in New Zealand is hiring a Head of Employee Advisory and Resolution Service for an initial 12-month pilot period. The position will head a new office, Employee Advisory and Resolution Service ("EARS"), that will offer "confidential, impartial and informal support for AUT staff to discuss and seek support to resolve their workplace concerns with an independent party." EARS will operate in compliance with the IOA Code of Ethics. 

FCO Elects Board and Officers for 2021-23

At its Annual General Meeting on June 16, 2021, the Forum of Canadian Ombudsman (Forum Canadien des Ombudsmans) elected directors and officers for two year terms:

Acsenda School of Management Opens Ombuds Office

The private, for-profit college in Vancouver, British Columbia, has appointed Marcella Williams as its first Student Ombudsperson. She will assist "prospective, current, and former students of Acsenda who may be unfamiliar with Acsenda’s processes and policies and believe they may have been treated unfairly." Acsenda was established in 2015 and currently enrolls over 200 students.

University of Iowa Announces New Faculty Ombuds

Meenakshi (Gigi) Durham has been selected as the next faculty Ombudsperson to join the Iowa Office of the Ombudsperson. She will replace Rachel Williams and serve a part-time, four-year term. Durham has been a faculty member since 2000 and is currently the Director of the Nonfiction Writing Program and a Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication with a joint appointment in Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality studies. 

Call for Presenters: Cal Caucus 2021

The California Caucus of College and University Ombuds is soliciting session proposals inspired by the theme, "Towards Restoration: What We’ve Lost and What We’ve Found." The 2021 California Caucus of College and University Ombuds will be held at the Asilomar Conference Grounds on November 10-13, 2021. Organizers are particularly interested in original proposals that emphasize the intimate in-person setting; that foster deep conversations, community connection, and participant engagement.

Job Posting: World Health Organization, Republic of Congo

The UN agency for international public health is hiring a Regional Ombudsman to be based in Brazzaville for a full-time, two-year appointment. Among other typical Ombuds duties, the position is expected to "maintain an active understanding of professional developments in their area of work by continuing professional membership of the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) and participating in the annual and regular meetings of the Network of Ombudsmen from the United Nations and Related International Organizations (UNARIO)."

Job Posting (RFP): Tahirih Justice Center

The national nonprofit that provides legal and social services to immigrant women and girls fleeing gender-based violence and persecution is seeking proposals for a full-time Ombudsperson. The Ombuds will work alongside the Conflict Transformation Working Group and HR when the involved staff do not prefer use of colleagues for issues or complaints support. Tahirih is located in Falls Church, Virginia, but services may be provided remotely.

Job Posting (RFP): American Chemical Society

The Publications Divisions of professional association for chemists and chemistry researchers is seeking proposals for its first Ombuds in 45 years. (In November 1976, the ACS Board of Directors, acting on recommendation of its Committee on Public, Professional & Member Relations, appointed Esther Allen, "an experienced staff member," to establish an Office of Society Ombudsman.) The new contract Ombuds will serve as an independent liaison between ACS Publications and the chemistry community to address concerns about Editors, Editorial Advisory Board members or reviewers with regard to editorial processes. 

Society for American Archaeology Releases First Ombuds Report

SAA's first-ever Annual Meeting Ombuds, David Rasch, CO-OP, and Elaine Shaw, CO-OP, have posted a report on their activities for the professional association's conference in April 2021. The six page report includes sections on: Pre-work and Planning; Ombuds Program Utilization; and Recommendations / Feedback. The SAA Ombuds received 11 contacts from the Annual Meeting participants. (SAA Ombuds 2021 Report.)

College of Charleston Eliminates Ombuds' Collateral Duties

CofC has removed the collateral duties from its current Ombuds. Evie Nadel has been the Ombudsperson for for the past three years while continuing her work as the Senior Director of Community Relations. In an announcement yesterday, the College President said that Nadel would continue as a member of his office and work solely as an Ombuds:

IOA's Management Company, SBI, Acquired by Collegium Partners

A press release last week announced that Collegium Partners, Inc., has acquired SBI Association Management. IOA has had a service contract with SBI since 2019. Collegium is privately-held, New York-based company that provides professional services for the nonprofit sector. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, SBI's executive leadership team, including founder Marlis Korber and her staff will remain in place. As is typical for Collegium's "partner" companies, SBI will continue to operate independently. (SBI Press Release.) 

University of Playa Ancha Convocation Given by WHO Regional Ombuds

Francisco Espejo Elgueta, the World Health Organization's Regional Ombudsman for Europe, gave the keynote speech at the inauguration of the University of Playa Ancha's academic year last week. Espejo drew on his own professional and educational experience to describe how he has come to understand conflict and its social/cultural context. 

Job Posting: Williams College

The private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts is seeking its first Ombudsperson. The part-time position will report to the president and serve only faculty and staff—fewer than 500 people. The Williams Ombuds will practice to IOA standards.

College of Engineering at UT Arlington Creates its Own Ombuds Program

A decade ago the Student Congress at UT Arlington unanimously recommended the creation of a Ombuds program. After no movement from the campus, the College of Engineering created its own Undergraduate Ombuds Team. The team is composed of faculty and staff members in the College and practices to IOA standards.

Leuphana University Names Two New Ombuds

The public university in Lüneburg, Germany has selected two new Ombuds: Eckhard C. Bollow as the Ombudsperson for Professors; and Lea Boecker as the Ombudsperson for Academic Employees. They join Thies Reinck, the Ombudsperson for Students and Lecturers. Together, the three Ombuds provide an initial point of contact for university members with concerns about a violation of Leuphana's Code of Ethics. 

Job Posting: Dalhousie University

The public university in Halifax has opened a search for its next Ombudsperson to serve a student population of 20,000. The office has been vacant since the departure of Diane Hawco in late 2018. (She is now a Justice of the Peace in Nova Scotia.) The full-time position will report to the Provost, with support from an Ombudsperson Advisory Committee, and restore and promote the Ombuds Office.

Northern Illinois University Seeks Interim Ombuds

NIU has opened an internal search for an Interim Ombudsperson. The search will fill the post held by Sarah Klaper, who recently moved to Northwestern University. Applicants for the full-time position must have an earned master’s degree (doctorate is preferred) or other terminal degree and be a current NIU employee to serve in interim or acting role. The interim position will pay $6,667 monthly. The opening was posted on Friday and applications are due June 17, 2021. (Inside Higher Ed Careers.)

University of Nebraska Medical Center Promotes Ombuds

David Carver, the long-time Student Ombuds at the public medical school in Omaha, has been promoted to Director. Carver helped to establish the Ombuds role at UNMC and has served in the office in 1997. He said, "I'm excited to work closely with my long-time ombuds colleague Dr. Susan Swindells, while also collaborating with other UNMC programs that promote wellness and inclusion." Carver serves on the IOA Board of Directors recently co-chaired the Standards of Practice Task Force. (UNMC News.)

Sig Stautland: Former Ombuds at San Diego State University

Siguard Stautland, who served as the University Ombudsman at SDSU in the late 1970's and early 1980's, passed away in May 2021. Stautland emigrated to the U.S. from Norway after visiting on a Fulbright scholarship. He joined the faculty at San Diego State in 1966 and taught there until his retirement in 1992. In 1982, he spoke out against a plan to cut funding to the Ombuds Office. During his tenure, he served as the Education Department Chair and Director of Special Programs. Stuatland was also an important leader in the Norwegian ex-pat community. (San Diego Valhall Viking; Daily Aztec.)

CPR Institute Interviews Pfizer Ombuds on his Career Path

The latest installment of the CPR Institute's Young-ADR series features an interview with Timothy Shore, VP and Chief Ombudsman at Pfizer, Inc.

Clemson University's Long-Time Assistant Ombuds Retires

Three weeks ago, Clemson's Ombudsman Assistant, Glenda L. Dickson, retired from a position she held for nearly three decades. Dickson was the first full-time Assistant Ombuds and helped to establish the Ombuds Office, which serves all university constituents. She volunteered in several capacities for TOA, UCOA, and IOA, including time on the conference, oversight, finance (Assistant Treasurer), and membership committees and as a conference speaker. She said, "I will always have a passion for Ombuds work and hold dear the multitude of friendships gained in the Ombuds world."

Job Posting: University of Ottawa

The bilingual public university in Ontario is hiring a full-time Assistant Ombudsperson for a two-year contract. The Office of the Ombudsperson at uOttawa is lead by Martine Conway and serves 50,000 students, faculty, and staff. The search will fill a position held for over two years by Evelyn Poisson. 

Job Posting: University of Groningen

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the public research university and second oldest university in the Netherlands, is hiring its first Ombudsperson. The new position will serve 36,000 students and 7,700 staff members. The 0.8 FTE position will be responsible for, "identifying, advising, mediating and conducting solicited and unsolicited investigations on matters relating to social safety and inappropriate conduct." The primary characteristics of the position are impartiality, independence, and objectivity. 

Marketing Materials for Ombuds Day 2021

Organizers of the 2021 Ombuds Day (Caroline Adams and Liz Hill) have collected promotional materials that Ombuds may want to distribute this month. These materials are intended primarily for non-Ombuds to learn more about Ombuds and the annual Ombuds Day, which is set for October 14, 2021. 

Job Posting: George Mason University

The large public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, is hiring an University Ombudsperson. The full-time position reports to the Chief of Staff and will serve only faculty and administrators. GMU's last Ombuds served just students, but that program has been dormant since 2017 when J. Fernando Caetano departed. The position is "telework friendly."

ACCUO Bestows 2021 Service Awards

At its 2021 annual general meeting, the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudsperson presented two awards to members for outstanding service. The Distinguished Service Award went to Anita L. Pouliot, the recently retired Ombuds at the University of Western Ontario, for her "extraordinary contribution to the development, support and/or furtherance of Ombudsmanship in higher education. The Special Contribution Award was given to Carmela Parzanese, Assistant to the Ombuds at McGill University, in recognition of her "outstanding contribution or service to ombudsing in higher education and exceptional volunteerism or service to ACCUO." (ACCUO Member Recognition Awards.)

Job Posting: Association for the Study of Higher Education

The national organization of scholars dedicated to higher education as a field of study is hiring its first Ombuds. The new Conference and Events Ombuds will provide services for 800-1,000 annual conference attendees set for San Juan, Puerto Rico and 16 single-day virtual events with 10-250 attendees. ASHE is seeking an experienced Ombuds who will be available virtually on an as-needed basis for events beginning in September and ending in December, and on-site for the in-person conference November 3-6, 2021. 

University of Montréal Associate Ombuds to Retire

Monique Laforest, Université de Montréal's Associate Ombudsman, will retire at the end of June 2021. She joined the Ombuds Office in 2009 and temporarily held the position of Ombudsman in 2017-2018. (ACCUO Bulletin.)

Laval University has a New Ombuds

Nancy Fournier was appointed ombudsman at Laval University in the October 2020 for a five-year term. She serves all members of the campus community at the public research university in Quebec City, including 43,000 students. Fournier comes to the position after a dozen years in legal affairs and risk management at Le CIUSSS de l’Estrie (CHUS), a large health care organization in Quebec. 

University of Nebraska Omaha Opens Internal Search for Next Ombuds

UNO is now seeking a current tenured, full-time faculty member to serve in the role of Director of Ombuds Services. The search will fill a position held by Connie Schaffer since April 2020. Schaffer was recently named the has been named the director of the university's Center for Faculty Excellence. UNO's Director of Ombuds Services is one of three Ombuds that serve faculty, staff, and students at the large public university.

Ombuds Office at Concordia University Grows with New Associate

Dorothee Beaupre Bernier has been hired as the first Associate Ombudsperson at Concordia. The move expands the office which serves the entire campus and is headed by Amy Fish. Bernier comes to the position from the Canada Life Insurance Company, where she was Assistant Ombuds. 

Dakota State University Names First Ombuds

Mary Francis has been appointed the first Ombudsperson for the public university in Madison, South Dakota in January 2021. She will serve as a resource for faculty and administration with issues related to DSU or South Dakota Board of Regents policies and procedures. Francis holds a faculty position, Reference Instruction Librarian, and will serve as Ombuds for a three-year term.

Association for Social Economics Creates Ombuds Program for Members

The professional association for the study of economic behavior has appointed Madhavi Venkatesan as its first Ombudsperson. In this new role, she will provide services to ASE's 200 members following IOA standards. In an introductory letter, Venkatesan explained, "As your Ombudsperson, I will be the point of contact for anyone in the organization facing a functional challenge with another person(s) in the organization and will seek to facilitate through informal channels a mutually agreeable resolution."