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.

Bowdoin College Signs Ombuds Charter

Earlier this week, the President of the private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine endorsed a charter for its Ombuds Office. The document defines and protects the program established by Jacqueline M. Reese since her appointment in 2023. The charter adopts IOA standards of practice with no exceptions.

University of Minnesota Restaffs Office for Conflict Resolution

Adepeju ('Peju) O. Solarin was appointed the Director of the Office for Conflict Resolution at the U of M in April 2024 and Max Markin joined as Assistant Director in September. Together, they provide Ombuds and related services to serves faculty, staff, and student workers. Meanwhile, finn j. schneider continues as University Ombud and Director of the similarly-named but separate Student Conflict Resolution Center. (UMN OCR.)

Podcast: CEDR Hosts Four Ombuds

The latest podcase from the Center for Effective Dispute Resolutions explores the crucial role Ombuds services play in resolving workplace conflicts and how mediator skills are essential in achieving resolution. CEDR's Chief Executive, James South, speaks with four Ombuds with extensive and extensive experience from both public and private sectors: Youssoupha Niang (UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency); Judit Revesz (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies); James Claxton (United Nations Funds and Programmes); and Estelle Ghyselinck (Sanofi).

Job Posting: City of Philadelphia

Philadelphia is hiring another Assistant Employee Ombudsperson. The full-time position will report to the inaugural Employee Ombudsperson, Shakeya Foreman., who has been building out an office for the past year. The full-time position will be responsible for responding to city employees with workplace issues case management, data collection, and administrative tasks. The work will be hybrid with some in-office days.

Job Posting (Nonconforming): AUI Online

American InterContinental University has opened a search for its first Ombudsman. AUI is a private for-profit university based in Schaumburg, Illinois, but the full-time position is advertised as fully remote. It is owned by the for-profit company Perdoceo Education Corporation. The position will establish and manage a program that is not expected to meet IOA standards. The job description appears to be a complaint manager and includes these duties: 

Externship: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

The FDIC's Office of the Internal Ombuds is seeking two Student Trainees. The paid, part-time positions will provide "administrative support in the areas of addressing workplace-related concerns and employee engagement/workplace improvement initiatives." The positions require at least 24-hours per week during the full academic year and full time during summer/holiday breaks, and are based in Washington, DC. Interns are eligible for hire after successful completion of the program requirements, including at least 480 hours of work experience.

Introducing the Inaugural Ombuds for the University of Mississippi Medical Center

In November 2023, Erin Vaughn Jones was appointed the first Ombudsperson for UMMC, the health sciences campus of the University of Mississippi. In this new role, Jones reports administratively to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and provides services to faculty, staff, students, and trainees for the health system, which comprises seven schools, four teaching hospitals, and many other clinics and research facilities.

Stockton University Names Ombuds

Karen A. Reardon has been appointed the Ombuds Officer for the public university near Atlantic City, New Jersey. In this half-time role, Reardon serves faculty, staff, and students (a total population of about 11,000), and she follows Lisa M. Lyle in the position.

Job Posting: Florida State University

The public research university in Tallahassee has opened a search for its a University Student Ombuds. The position will serve all enrolled students, a population of over 32,000. Currently, students are served by two collateral-duty Ombuds: Undergraduates by Jill Flees (Director for the Graduation Planning & Strategies Office); and Graduate students by James Beck (Senior Graduate Policy Program Coordinator). There is a separate Ombuds program for faculty and staff. The full-time position is located within the FSU Office of Compliance & Ethics. 

COFO Announces 2024 Conference Lineup

The Coalition of Federal Ombuds has announced its primary plenary speakers for its Annual Conference this Friday October 25th, and the conference day has been approved for 5.0 PDH. Registration is now open for the conference, which will be held for both in-person and virtual attendees from 9 AM – 5 PM Eastern time. 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. A full agenda will be posted shortly here.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Opens Internal Search for Next Faculty Ombuds

The public research university at the southern tip of Texas seeks internal applicants to be its next Faculty Ombuds. The search will fill a half-time position established by Veronica Cano in 2018. The Faculty Ombudsperson serves about 1,200 UTRGV academic employees and practices to IOA standards.

Job Posting: Asian Development Bank

The regional development bank based in Metro Manila, Philippines, is hiring an Senior Ombuds Programs Officer. (The Bank ran a similar search one year ago.) The full-time position that will provide Ombuds services to all ADB stakeholders and report to the ADB Ombuds, Wayne Blair. The position will also supervise administrative staff in the office.

Job Posting: University of Southern California

The private research university in Los Angeles will expand its Ombuds Office with the addition of a new Assistant Ombudsperson. Responsibilities for the full-time position are two-fold: providing high-level administrative support and providing Ombuds services. The position will report jointly to USC's two University Ombuds, Katherine Greenwood, CO-OP, and Tom Kosakowski, and practice to IOA standards.

Tilburg University Names First Student Ombuds

In August, Ingrid Segers-Claessen was appointed the first Ombudsfunctionaris Studenten for the public research university in the Netherlands. She will provide services to about 20,000 students. Tilburg is in the process of hiring an Employee Ombuds. 

Journal of IOA Article Urges Ombuds to Reflect on How Identities Impact Work

Three Ombuds and a student from the University of Maryland, Karen M. O’Brien, Nazish M. Salahuddin, Mashanda Y. Mosley, and Karoline J. Trovato, are the coauthors of a new article in the peer-reviewed Journal of the International Ombuds Association. In "Doing Our Best Work: Bringing Identity Awareness and Cultural Humility to the Ombuds Role," the authors encourage practicing Ombuds to become more mindful of how their racial and gender identies affect their work. The article is the second JIOA's Special Issue on Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging.

Job Posting: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

The federal agency that issues patents and registers trademarks is hiring another Senior Associate Ombudsman. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the position will report to Chief Ombudsman Paul Sotoudeh and work alongside Senior Associate Ombuds Andrea Brown and Nellie Haddad. The job does require living in the DC area (and USPTO can’t pay for relocation), but does allow for three days per week of telework.

John A. Logan College Creates Ombuds Office

The public community college in Carterville, Illinois, has appointed Adrienne Barkley Giffin as its first Student Ombudsperson. She will provide services to over 3,300 students following IOA standards. 

Podcast: Managing Work Conflicts: Celebrating the Work of Ombuds Professionals

Liz Hill, the Associate Director at the University of Colorado Boulder Ombuds Office was a guest this week on "Conflict Managed," a podcast hosted by Merry Brown, a workplace conflict restoration consultant and mediator. Hill has been an Ombuds for 17 years and brings a wide range of experience to her work with clients and advocacy for the profession. In this podcast, she offers advice for managing workplace conflict.

International Conference on Student Participation to Feature Ombuds

The first International Conference on Student Participation will include several sessions relevant to Ombuds. The conference "seeks to address all the dimensions in which student participation develops and can develop within higher education institutions, with a multilevel and multi-stakeholder approach." The conference will be hosted by on the University of Córdoba and Pablo de Olavide University in Córdoba, Spain, on 28-29 October 2024 (and partially streamed online).

The MacArthur Foundation Unveils Ombuds Program

MWI has announced that Jacqueline Villafañe and Ralph Johnson will serve as Ombuds team members for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support nonprofit organizations in approximately 117 countries around the world. Villafane and Johnson will serve over 200 staff at their headquarters in Chicago, and offices in India and Nigeria. Previously, a different contractor provided Ombuds services to the Foundation for a little over years.

Job Posting: European Molecular Biology Laboratory

EMBL, the intergovernmental laboratory for the life sciences in Heidelberg, Germany, seeks its next Ombudsperson. The search will fill a position established by Martina Peskoller-Fuchs in 2015. The position serves about staff members, local staff, fellows, trainees and visitors at sites across Europe, including: Hinxton near Cambridge, Grenoble, Hamburg, Rome, and Barcelona. The EMBL Ombuds will serve a five-year term and is renewable to nine years. 

Job Posting: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

The multilateral development bank based in Beijing has opened search for an Ombuds Service Analyst. The position reports to the Ombudsperson (which is being filled by a concurrent, international search) and will assist with research, training and outreach event organization, data collection and analysis, and reporting.

Job Posting: DC State Board of Education

The Ombudsman for Public Education in Washington, DC⁠—a neutral and independent office that provides conflict resolution services related to public education⁠—is hiring a Senior Advisor to the Ombudsman. The position "serves as a subject matter expert and key advisor to the Director, providing a broad range of operational management, project management, and research and writing support [including] coordination of case management, outreach and engagement, mediation, policy recommendations, and ensures compliance with applicable policies, procedures, regulations, and laws." Kimberly R. Humphrey was named the Director and Ombudsman on April 22, 2024.

Job Posting: University of Waterloo

The public research university in Ontario has opened a search for a full-time Ombudsperson. The position is expected to establish and manage an office to serve approximately 40,000 students following ACCUO standards of practice and reporting to the University Secretary. UWaterloo conducted a similar and ultimately unsuccessful search in November 2023.