Meet the Inaugural Student Ombuds at Southern Oregon University

In January 2023, SOU unveiled an Ombuds program for its 6,200 students public, liberal arts university in Ashland. Erica Knotts and Rebecca Williams provide services jointly. Located within the Office of Student Life, they practice to IOA standards. Meanwhile, Rachel Jochem and Cody Christopherson, separately serve as the Faculty Ombuds.

SAP to Host European Ombuds Conference

The European Group of Ombuds and Mediation Representatives will gather at SAP's headquarter in Walldorf, Germany, next week for their annual conference. The annual, three-day event for professionals from large European and international organizations offers an opportunity to come together, share best practices, and collaborate on the evolving role of Ombuds in today’s world.

Australia Set to Create National Student Ombuds Program

A package of legislating pending in the Australian parliament will establish a new National Student Ombudsman. The program will provide students with a federal mechanism to complain about higher education providers, especially cases of sexual assault and sexual harassment on university campuses. 

Rutgers University Appoints Next Ombuds

Kaamilyah Abdullah-Span has been named the new Ombudsperson for the State University of New Jersey. She will will restore a program that has been dormant since 2021, when the long-time Ombuds, Sybil James, moved into the Dean of Students role. Abdullah-Span will serve a student body of nearly 70,000 and report to the University Provost. (A separate Ombuds Office serves students and house staff at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.)

COFO Opens Registration for 2024 Annual Conference

Registration is now open for the 2024 Coalition of Federal Ombuds Annual Conference, which will be held for both in-person and virtual attendees from 9 AM – 5 PM Eastern time on October 25, 2024. The in-person portion of the conference will be held at the Clara Barton Auditorium at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA. Registration is free.

Job Posting: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

The U.S. government corporation that insures bank deposits seeks two Internal Ombudsman Specialists. The FDIC ran a search last month which was substantially similar. Job details for the current openings are unchanged except that the posting states the "candidate selected will be offered a term appointment not-to-exceed four years." The full-time positions serve about 6,000 agency employees and report to the FDIC Internal Ombuds, Robert D. Harris in the Chairman's office in Washington, DC. 

Meet the Ombuds for Amnesty International, Italy

In December 2023, Vittorio Indovina became the Organizational Ombudsperson for Amnesty International Italia. As a contractor for the international non-governmental human rights organization, he developing an Ombuds program and is providing dispute resolution services to staff in discrimination and harassment cases and other interpersonal conflicts. 

Job Posting: Texas Southern University

The public HBCU in Houston has opened a search for a full-time Ombuds Officer. The position will report to the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and serve faculty, staff, and students, a total population of over 10,000. Previously, TSU had only a Student Ombudsman (and it is not clear who served in the role). The position will practice to IOA standards. 

University of Tennessee Knoxville Ombuds Posts Fifth Annual Report

Cases increased significantly according to the 2023-24 annual report from the Office of Ombuds Services at UT Knoxville. Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, said that her office handled 659 cases, which was 27% higher than in 2022-23. The office includes Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann, Educational Program Coordinator, Duren Thompson, and a graduate research assistant, Mohammad “Shovon” Rahanur Alam.

Duke University Hires Associate Ombuds

Marlo Goldstein Hode has been selected as the Associate Ombuds for the private university in Durham, North Carolina. She joins University Ombuds, Jessica Kuchta-Miller, CO-OP, and serve all faculty, staff, and students. 

Internship: SAP

The Global Ombuds Office for the German multinational software corporation is seeking student for a six-month internship in Prague. The paid, part-time position will focus projects that support the work of the Ombuds Office, including preparing new trainings and promotional materials. After an initial six-month internship, the position may transition to a student employee. Up to 10% travel may be required.

ACCUO Selects Interim Leaders

Following recent changes in its executive executive committee, the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (Association des ombudsmans des universités et collèges du Canada) has named interim replacements. Permanent committee members will be appointed at the Annual General Meeting in October 2024.

Job Posting: Central State University

The public land-grant university in Wilberforce, Ohio (the state's only HBCU), is hiring its first Director of the Office of Student Ombuds. Reporting to the President's Chief of Staff, the Ombuds will serve about 5,500 enrolled students. In a State of the University address last week, Central State's President, Morakinyo A.O. Kuti, said, "We will also launch the Office of Students Ombudsman in October to help students navigate their University journey more efficiently." The university's website does not indicate what motivated the creation of an Ombuds program, but one of its accrediting bodies (the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools), endorsed Ombuds in 2015.

Toronto Metropolitan University Adds an Assistant Ombuds

In May 2024, Jemmy Erhiaganoma was selected as the new Assistant Ombudsperson for TMU. She joins Acting Ombudsperson, Gemma Kerr, and Assistant Ombudsperson & Outreach Officer, Edmun Natkunarajah. TMU's Office of the Ombudsperson serves 48,000 enrolled students, plus applicants and former students, and follows ACCUO and FCO standards of practice.

Virginia Commonwealth University Ombuds Announces 2024 Conflict Resolution Day Event

Since 2013, VCU's Ombudsperson, William King, has sponsored a National Conflict Resolution Day program. This year, his signature event on October 17, 2024will feature a keynote by Reese Ramos, University Ombuds for Virginia Tech. The theme for his address is "The Power of the Dark Side – Being Comfortable with the Uncomfortable." The rest of the day includes panel discussions and group work on managing conflict with other campus leaders. As usual, the event is free and open to the public.

US News & World Report: "What Students Should Know About College Ombuds"

The media company known for its influential ranking of colleges and graduate schools, has published an article explaining the role of campus Ombuds. The piece includes sections on: History of Ombuds Offices; What an Ombuds Does; How an Ombuds Helps; When To Use Ombuds; When Not to Use Ombuds; Issues Brought to Ombuds; and Resolution That Can Be Expected.

Job Posting: Columbus Technologies (National Institutes of Health)

Columbus Technologies and Services, Inc., a prime contractor that provides professional, scientific, and technical services to federal agencies, is hiring a Human Resource Advisor Organizational Ombuds to work onsite at the NIH. It appears the the position will be embedded within the NIH Ombuds Office in Bethesda, Maryland. Some travel may be required.

Job Posting: CVS Health (OhioRISE)

CVS Health is hiring an Ombuds to work in the Ombuds Office for OhioRISE, the statewide, Medicaid behavioral health plan for children and youth. The full-time, remote position will provide services to members and community partners following Organizational Ombuds standards. (The job is not related to the discontinued CVS Ombuds Office that served internal employees.)

New APSA Leader is an Ombuds Advocate

Kimberly A. Mealy has been named the Executive Director of the American Political Science Association, the leading professional association for the study of political science. In addition to her many years of leadership within APSA, Mealy has been an advocate for Organizational Ombuds. In 2017, she advocated for the creation of the APSA Ombuds program. In 2019, she authored an article that highlighted the role of APSA Ombuds as part of a social justice framework. Since then, Mealy has continued to advise associations and academic institutions on resource and policy development, including the role of Ombuds. (Political Science Now.)