Ombuds at Stellenbosch University Offers Insights from Practice

Rina Meyer has been the Ombuds for the oldest university in Africa, where she serves nearly 50,000 faculty, staff, and students across multiple campuses in South Africa. Since she was appointed in 2016, she has seen significant impacts from changes to funding structures and COVID. She recently sat for an interview with EHONE board member, Doris Kiendl. Here are some excerpts.

Job Posting: University of Toronto Scarborough

The large, research university in Ontario is hiring an Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council & Ombuds Officer, a position currently held by Emma Thacker. The job has two roles and a dual reporting structure. The Assistant Secretary provides administrative support, advice, and information to the Governing Council on policies, precedents, and procedures for assigned boards and committees. In addition, the Ombuds position reports to the University Ombudsperson, Bruce Kidd, and serves as a primary contact for faculty, staff and students seeking assistance from the Office of the Ombudsperson.

IOA Offers Scholarships to 2025 Conference in Miami

The International Ombuds Association is offering scholarships for its annual conference on April 5-9, 2025, in Florida. Scholarships will provide funds for new/aspiring Ombuds who do not have sufficient organizational support. The scholarship will cover the full cost of conference registration plus $500 for travel expenses. Unlike prior years, there is no separate scholarship for international applicants. The deadline to apply is December 17, 2024.

Illinois State University Appoints First, Full-Time Ombuds

After an extended national search that began in November 2023, Reginald Georgia has been selected as the first full-time Ombudsperson for the large public university in Central Illinois. He will replace three collateral duty Ombuds who have served since about 2010. Georgia will serve nearly 30,000 faculty, staff, and students on the urban campus and starts December 1, 2024.

University of Wisconsin–Madison Names Additional Ombuds

UW-Madison has selected Don Schutt as an Ombuds beginning December 1, 2024. Schutt will serve a three-year term and joins six other Ombuds office: Bruno Browning, Beth Dawson, Jane Dymond, Rob Howell, Gloria Hawkins, and Thomas Kuech. Schutt worked in the university's Office of Human Resourcesfor more than 23 years, most recently as senior director for talent development. (UW-M News.)

Ohio State University Ombuds Publishes 2024 Annual Report

Ohio State Faculty Ombuds Mollie V. Blackburn and Graduate and Professional Student Ombuds Rebeka Campos-Astorkiza have released a summary of their work during the 2023-24 academic year. The annual report reveals it assisted a total of 225 visitors, addressing concerns such as communication breakdowns and interpersonal conflicts.

Job Posting: University of Western Ontario

The public research university in London, Ontario has opened a search for its next Ombudsperson. The position heads an office that operates under an agreement between the university and several student organizations. The position will join Whitney Barrett, Western University's Acting Ombudsperson, Whitney Barrett, and Associate Ombuds, Stephanie Bolingbroke.

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Celebrates 25 Years of Ombuds

Last week, Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez marked a quarter century of service by its Oficina de Procuraduría Estudiantil with educational workshops, tributes and reflections. The inaugural Student Ombuds, Vilma D. López, and incumbent, Larissa Hernández Nazario, were honored. According to a history shared by Hernandez Nazario, the office was established on November 10, 1999, and has been guided by IOA principles of independence, confidentiality, informality, neutrality and impartiality. (UPR Portada.) 

Daemen University Appoint Next Ombuds

The private university in Amherst, New York (known as Daemen College until 2022) appointed Heather Cruz as its Faculty Ombudsperson in late 2023. In this part-time role, Cruz reports to Daemen's Vice President for Academic Affairs and practices to IOA standards. 

American Anthropological Association Names 2024 Conference Ombuds

Bathabile K. S. Mthombeni is serving as the Ombuds for AAA's annual meeting. Although the conference is taking place in Tampa, Florida, this week, Mthombeni is providing of services offsite. She brings considerable experience to the job, having served as the Ombuds for Binghamton University for the past decade and also shorter appointments for Common Cause, Gates Foundation, and Root & Shoot. (AAA Annual Meeting Info.)

Job Posting: SOS Children's Villages, Nepal

The Austria-based international development organization is hiring a National Ombuds to be based in Sanothimi, Bhaktapur. The position will to report to the Regional Ombuds, Harleen Walia. The initial appointment will last one year, with a possible extension.

Retirement Marks End of Ombuds Office at Cal State Long Beach

After eight years as the Ombuds for California State University Long Beach, Keith Freesemann retired at the end of August 2024. The university subsequently "transitioned" the Ombuds Office into the Conflict Resolution process (essentially a unified complaint process recommended by the law firm of Cozen O'Connor). Cal State Long Beach now has no informal conflict management program. (CSULB Office o the President.)

Internship: UN Funds & Programmes

The Office of the Ombudsman for the United Nations Funds and Programmes is seeking a Mediation Intern. The full-time internship will last three months (with a possible three-month extension) and is based in New York City. The intern will support the Mediation Unit of the Ombuds Office with training and project activities, casework, development of the Global Mediation Panel, and other administrative and substantive support.

Call for Papers and Posters: ENOHE 2025 Conference

The European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education seeks presenters for its 20th annual conference at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on June 4-6, 2025. Proposals are due by January 15, 2025. 

Full details from ENOHE: 

Fairfax County, Virginia, Unveils Ombuds Program for Community Services

The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, a county agency, has created an Office of the Ombuds Advocate to assist individuals and their families in resolving service-related concerns related to mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities. Jenna Beebe-Aryee is the inaugural Ombuds and Program Manager. According to a new website for the office, the CSB Ombuds Advocate will practice to IOA standards. 

Radboud University Retains Experienced Staff Ombuds

Last month, Job van Luyken was appointed the part-time Staff Ombudsperson for Radboud Universiteit. He follows the inaugural Ombuds, Nancy Viellevoye, who left abruptly and complained that the office had been understaffed and frequently sidelined in favor of external consultants. Van Luyken joins Aukje Verstegen began work as the university's first Student Ombudsperson in January 2024.

Carnegie Mellon University Appoints Inaugural Student & Faculty Ombuds

Monique McKay has been selected as the first Student and Faculty Ombudsperson for the private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She will report to the Provost and is expected to work closely with CMU's Staff Ombudsperson, Jennifer Pablonis.

Queen's University Selects Next Ombuds

Last month, Norma Barrett was named the Ombudsperson for the public research university in Kingston, Ontario. She leads an office which includes Associate Ombuds, Heather Trojek, who served as the Interim University Ombudsperson during the recent search. Together, they provide services to nearly 45,000 students, staff, and faculty. In the role, Barrett reports to the Board of Trustees with oversight by the University Culture Committee and Faculty Senate.

Job Posting: Sacramento City Unified School District

The public school system in California's capital city is hiring on Ombudsperson. As part of the district's Constituent Services Office, the position. "Serve as an informal and confidential conflict management resource for parents, guardians, community members, and district staff; advocate for fair processes and administration of those processes, not for one person or a particular outcome in a conflict." 

Job Re-Posting: Georgia Institute of Technology

The public research university in Atlanta has reopened its search for its next Ombudsperson. The position has been renamed from 'Ombudsman' and the salary range increased. Georgia Tech consolidated its faculty, staff, and graduate student Ombuds programs in 2009, but it appears that all have been defunct since early 2012. The full-time, hybrid position will single-handedly serve a total population of about 38,000, including faculty, staff, and students.

University of Wyoming Selects Next Ombuds

Don Appiarius has been appointed the new Ombudsperson for UW. He follows Nellie Haddad and her interim replacement, Narina Nunez, in the position. Appiarius will report to the University President and provide services to all members of the campus community.

University of Luxembourg Adds an Ombuds

Veronika Lovrits has been selected as a full-time Ombudsperson for Université du Luxembourg. She joins the inaugural (and now part-time) Ombuds, Brent Epperson, and will expand the university's Ombuds Service, which was established by Brent Epperson in February 2021. In this new role, Lovrits will report to the University's Governing Council and provide Ombuds services to staff and students in English and German.

Journal of IOA Article Examines Role of Civility

Julia L. Farmer, the Director of Ombuds Services at the University of West Georgia, is the author of a new article in the peer-reviewed Journal of the International Ombuds Association. In "Navigating Civility’s Baggage: Some Thoughts for Ombuds Practitioners," Farmer offers some important context for Ombuds engage with visitors around the issue of civility. The article is the first in a JIOA Special Issue on Politics and Polarization.

Utah Valley University Selects Three Ombuds Fellows

Emily M. Taylor, UVU's Assistant Director of Conflict Resolution and University Ombudsman, has appointed three undergraduate fellows. The new positions will "gain hands-on experience in conflict resolution, mediation, and program management [and] collaborate with the Ombuds team to support daily office operations and expand conflict resolution activities on campus." These appear to be the first-ever Ombuds fellowships.

IOA Publishes Summary of 2024 Practice Survey

The International Ombuds Association has completed its biennial survey of Organizational Ombuds about the qualitative aspects of their work. Respondents around the world provided data for the 2023 calendar year. The research team of Jennifer Schneider, Timothy Hedeen, Mary Rowe, and Hector Escalante Meza compiled a top ten list of interesting findings from the study:

New Video from Justice Canada Promotes Ombuds

A new video from Canada's Department of Justice presents "The Organizational Ombuds." Coproduced by the Ombuds and Informal Resolution Services Office and the Department's Communication's Branch, the video aims to showcase the profession in a fresh and engaging way. This video is publicly available and is intended for all Canadian Organizational Ombuds. In many respects it is similar and complimentary to the promotional video produced by IOA in 2019. 

University of Pittsburgh's Dietrich School Names First Ombuds

Pitt's liberal arts college, The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, has created an Ombuds program for faculty, staff, and students. Lisa Lang is the inaugural Ombudsperson and Director of the Office of the Ombuds. She manages a team that currently includes four part-time, collateral duty Ombuds: Philippa Carter, Graduate Ombudsperson; Deb Artim, Faculty Ombuds; Amy Flick, Faculty Ombuds; and Brent Malin, Faculty Ombuds. (Pitt AS Ombuds.)

Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Reappoints Inaugural Ombuds

Elizabeth (Betsy) Shoenfelt and Margaret (Peggy) Stockdale have been reappointed as the Ombudspersons for the professional association also known as Division 14 of the American Psychological Association. Originally, Shoenfelt was set to serve through 2025, and Stockdale until the end of 2024. Stockdale, however, recently accepted a second term and will now serve through 2027. The pair are volunteers who have been trained to provide services to SIOP members and conference attendees. (SIOP Items of Interest.)

U.S. Department of State Adds Three Ombuds to Growing Office

The Office of the Ombudsman at the State Department has hired three new Associate Ombuds: Johnny Armijo; Eric Kasik; and Elizabeth Stone, CO-OP. In these new, full-time roles, they will report to the State Department Ombuds, Jeanne Juliao, in Washington, DC, and provide services to State Department employees with workplace conflicts. Two of the new Ombuds bring recent professional experience.

Gallaudet University Appoints Interim Ombuds Team

Gallaudet University has named a team of interim Ombuds to maintain services following the departure of Liz Stone, CO-OP, who served in as Ombudsperson since 2015. The team of SooHyun Tak, Ashley Meyer, Malibu Barron, and Jennifer Schneider, CO-OP, will serve as part-time Ombuds during a transitional period through January 31, 2025. Three have prior Ombuds experience. (Gallaudet Ombuds.)

First Audit of Justice Canada's Ombuds is Favorable

In June, the Canadian Department of Justice completed its first formal review of its Ombuds office. The Ombuds and Informal Resolution Services Office (OIRSO) was established in 2021 and is headed by Sonya-Kim St-Julien. The audit report covered fiscal years 2020-21 through 2022-23, and examines issues related to relevance, design and delivery, effectiveness and efficiency.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Adds an Associate Ombuds

Jen Amano has been hired as the Associate Ombuds for UNCC, the large public university in southwestern North Carolina. Reporting to Scott Deyo, CO-OP, she will expand the office and provide services primarily to undergraduate students.

Providence College Ratifies Ombuds Charter

The President and Faculty Senate of the private Catholic university in Rhode Island has endorsed and published a Charter for its new Faculty Ombuds office. The document defines and protects the Ombuds program established by Marguerite M. Dorn in June 2024 and adopts IOA standards or practice without exceptions. (Providence Ombuds Charter.)

Grinnell College Selects Next Ombuds

Deborah Dodge, CO-OP, has been appointed the Ombudsperson for the small, private liberal arts college in Iowa. She follows Grinnell's inaugural Ombuds, Chinyere Ukabiala, who established the program in in 2012. In the full-time role, Dodge will serve all members of the campus community following IOA standards and report to the college president. She will begin in December 2024.