December 12, 2024

University of Massachusetts Amherst Selects Next Ombuds

Colette Carmouche has been appointed the next permanent University Ombuds for the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system. She takes over a program that has been managed by MWI since July, following the departure of Interim University Ombuds, Lea Occhialini, at the end of 2023. Carmouche begins in February 2025 and will report to the chancellor's office. The UMass Ombuds Office serves over 38,000 faculty, staff, and students, and is expected to practice to IOA standards. Carmouche is expected to fill a vacant Associate Ombuds position sometime next year.

Carmouche comes to UMass Amherst from Harvard, where was an Ombuds for over three years. Prior to that, she was an Ombudsman Specialist for the Transportation Security Administration. Her career has also included work as a mediation program manager, mediator, facilitator, trainer, Ombuds, and coach for the U.S. Department of Interior. She graduated from the University of Rochester and earned an MS in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University. She also holds an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coach Federation. (UMass News.)

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7 comments:

  1. Andrew Larratt-Smith12/12/2024 9:41 AM

    Great to see UMass Amherst pivot from outsourcing back to the more robust model of an appointed organizational ombuds with full-time staff. And they could not have made a better selection than Colette to serve as the University Ombuds. I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with this office.

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    1. Nicholas Diehl12/13/2024 7:25 AM

      Andrew, I agree on both points that UMass has made a good decision about the form of its program and their excellent choice of Colette. Congratulations, Colette!

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  2. Chuck Doran12/12/2024 12:25 PM

    Colette - congratulations on being selected as the next ombuds at UMass Amherst. The team at MWI and I are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and supporting you now and in the future as needed. All the best!

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  3. Anonymous12/12/2024 3:06 PM

    Congrats! Very exciting news.

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  4. Anonymous12/12/2024 6:15 PM

    Congratulations Colette. And, congratulations to Andrew for speaking a necessary truth. It is good to see U Mass wander in from the darkness and back to a full-time, embedded ombuds office.

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  5. Anonymous12/13/2024 8:13 AM

    Congratulations UMass! A full-time ombuds at about the same cost as 6-8 hours per week of outsourced service is a win for campus and taxpayers.

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  6. Julia Horvath12/15/2024 11:17 AM

    Congratulations!

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