The Ombuds Blog: Journal of IOA Book Review: Bridges Not Blockades

June 20, 2022

Journal of IOA Book Review: Bridges Not Blockades

Julia Farmer, the Director of Ombuds Services at the University of West Georgia, reviews Bridges not Blockades: Transcending University Politics, for the Journal of the International Ombuds Association. (Gayle Maddox and Martha Kalnin Diede edited the collection of personal essays about faculty and administrators in higher education, published by Myers Education Press in 2020.) Farmer finds insights that are very relevant for Ombuds.

Here is the abstract of the article:

This review of Bridges not Blockades: Transcending University Politics offers an overview of the book’s content. It then reflects on how ombuds might find areas of commonality with many of the volume’s contributors and use the book as a resource for thinking about ways to frame their own offices’ utility. In addition, the review identifies areas in which ombuds practice might diverge from the suggestions found in certain essays.

(JIOA.)

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

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June 20, 2022

Journal of IOA Book Review: Bridges Not Blockades

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