The Ombuds Blog: 2025

November 10, 2025

Florida Institute of Technology Names Ombuds

The private research university in Melbourne, Florida, has appointed its first members of a Faculty Ombuds Committee: Albert Bleakley, Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering; Kenia Nunes, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Science; and Suzanne Kozaitis, Associate Librarian. All will serve an initial three-year term. In addition, Florida Tech also appointed Kristen Nelson as its next Student Ombuds in the summer of 2024. She follows Rebecca Crook in the part-time role.

Colorado's flagship public university seeks applications for a part-time Faculty Ombuds. The CU Boulder Ombuds Office currently has two Faculty Ombuds, Yem Fong and Jerry Hauser, who primarily work with faculty, researchers, and graduate students. The position is open only to retired faculty. Tenure and conflict resolution training are preferred. The nine-month, 0.30 FTE, hybrid appointment will pay $59,639 annually and applications are due by November 21, 2025. (CU Posting.)

According to an article in the Queen's University Journal, the faculty union has raised concerns about a perceived conflict in the Office of the University Ombudsperson. The Queen’s University Faculty Association does not name the Ombuds in its statement (which is not publicly available), but points out that she is married to a senior university administrator. QUFA also has concerns about the Ombuds' reporting structure, which changed in 2023 from the University Secretariat to the Vice-Principal of Culture, Equity, and Inclusion.

Just two weeks after she was appointed as the Ombuds for the U.S. Department of Energy lab in Long Island, New York, Brooke Wichmann has been laid off "due to changes in leadership and funding." She had been selected after a 20-month search to restart the Ombuds program at Brookhaven and bring it up to IOA standards. (LinkedIn.)

Michigan State University Adds an Assistant Ombuds

Stefanie Janes has joined the Ombuds Office at MSU. As the second, full-time Assistant Ombuds, her appointment marks the expansion of a program that serves all members of a large, public university. Janes reports to the University Ombudsperson, Shannon Lynn Burton, and join Assistant Ombudsperson, Ryan T. Smith.

Jacqueline Villafañe will serve as an interim Ombuds for faculty and staff at LMU, the private Jesuit university in Los Angeles, while Johnny Armijo fulfills an active duty requirement with the Air Force Reserve from October 2025 through May 2026. Villafane is a current member of the IOA Board of Directors and has also been an Ombuds for the American Red Cross, The MacArthur Foundation, and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, among other organizations. (LMU Newsroom.)

Canada's Organizational Ombuds Council Document Guides Practice for Federal Ombuds

In July 2020, OOC (Conseil des ombuds organisationnels) issued "Standards of Practice for Organizational Ombuds of the Federal Public Service." These standards are designed to be "consistent with those of the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) and the Coalition of the Federal Ombudsman of the United States to guide the organizational ombuds practice within the Federal Public Service." This document is therefore another crucial, foundational document that supports and defines work of Organizational Ombuds.

Job Posting: United Nations, Jordan

The United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services is hiring a Regional Ombudsman for its office in Amman. The position will serve the UN Relief and Works Agency and its staff in locations assisting Palestinian refugees. The position is contracted for five years and is not renewable.

KP is hiring a full-time HealthCare Ombuds/Mediator for its medical facilities in San Rafael, California. The Kaiser HCOM, "functions as a trained alternative dispute professional offering patients, family members, staff & providers a conflict management program to resolve patient/provider healthcare disputes early thereby improving patient safety & reducing the costs of health care dispute resolution." Local travel is required.

Natalie Sharpe, Director of the Office of the Student Ombuds, has released an report covering the 2024–25 academic year. The OSO assisted 1,870 students during the period—1,657 undergraduates and 195 graduate students, including postdoctoral fellows and medical residents. The office reported more than 21,000 contacts and meetings, marking continued high demand for confidential and impartial support.

Job Posting: University of New Mexico

The public research university in Albuquerque is hiring an Associate Ombuds. The full-time position will join an office that provides services to UNM staff, faculty supervising staff and their co-workers, and graduate students. The office currently includes Ombuds, JoEllen Ransom; Senior Associate Ombuds, Anne Lightsey; and Associate Ombuds, Heidi Ricci.

Donna M. Bishop, who established the Ombuds office at Northeastern University, passed on September 29, 2025, at the age of 78. Bishop was a full professor of criminology and criminal justice when she was tapped to create an Ombuds program for campus employees in 2011. She served as the Ombuds for six years. Her teaching career also included faculty positions at the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida. In addition, she was an active volunteer with Covenant Presbyterian Church in Gainesville, Florida, the Alachua County Crisis Center, and the American Cancer Society. (Conte Obituary.)

Missouri State University Debuts Ombuds Program

Chris Herr and Mary Bohlen have been appointed as the first Ombuds Representatives for the public university in Springfield. As part-time (0.20 FTE), collateral duty Ombuds, they jointly serve all MSU employees following IOA standards. As Ombuds, Herr and Bohlen report as part of the president's office and are expected to serve an initial appointment of three years.

WSU, public university in Pullman has adopted a charter for its Office of the Ombuds. The new document states that the Ombuds will practice to IOA standards and was endorsed by WSU's president and provost, and both ombuds, Justin Denney and Lenka Perkins. Perkins joined the Ombuds office in December 2024 and followed Karen Sanguinet.

Job Posting: Alice L. Walton School of Medicine

The new (founded in 2021 and preliminarily accredited), private, allopathic medical school in Bentonville, Arkansas, has opened a search for its first Ombudsperson. The half-time position will report to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and serve a student population of less than 400.

Job Posting: Rutgers University–Camden

The State University of New Jersey has opened a search for Student Ombudsperson to establish a program for its Camden campus. (Kaamilyah Abdullah-Span continues as the Student Ombuds in New Brunswick and a separate Ombuds Office serves students and house staff at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.) The position reports to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

Morgan Bath has been introduced as the first Ombudsperson for Nocturne, a nonprofit in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia) that supports and promotes the local arts community. In this new role, she will provide Ombuds services to artists, contractors, and volunteers.

Job Posting: University of Colorado Boulder

Colorado's flagship public university is hiring a second Associate Ombuds. The position will join an office comprised of Director, Kirsi Aulin, Associate Ombuds, Jason J. Sinocruz, two Faculty Ombuds, Yem Fong and Jerry Hauser, and Ombuds Program Administrator, Maggie Howard. The Associate Ombuds will handle cases from students, staff, faculty, and administrators, and conduct outreach, with an emphasis on undergraduate students.

Gund Institute Names First Ombuds

Marie Vea has been appointed the inaugural Ombuds for the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. As the "Ombuds for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging," Vea serves students, postdocs, staff, and faculty affiliated with the institute. She takes on the Ombuds role as a collateral duty—Vea is also the Assistant Dean for Student Services & Staff Development. Meanwhile, Ralph Swenson continues as the Graduate Student Ombudsperson for UVM on the main campus.

The Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (Association des ombudsmans des universités et collèges du Canada) has announced details for its 2025 conference: "Moving Forward, Never Backward." The online, half-day event will take place on November 21, 2025, and is aimed at "higher education ombuds professionals from across Canada and beyond." Here is the full announcement:

Allgemeiner Fakultätentag, the nationwide umbrella organization for 19 faculty associations and an influential voice on higher education policy in Germany, has issued a position paper addressing power imbalances and misconduct in academic settings, and urging universities to create Ombuds programs. The statement links hierarchical structures and dependency relationships to risks of abuse, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and violations of good scientific practice. AFT calls on universities to promote a culture of openness and accountability and to strengthen preventive measures such as awareness training and responsible leadership development.

Job Posting: International Organization for Migration, Egypt

The intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation on migration issues is hiring a Conflict Resolution Officer to be based in Cairo. The position is located within the IOM Office of the Ombudsperson and Mediation Services and assists staff members with employment issues following IOA standards. The contract is for nine months and reports to the IOM Ombuds, Indumati Sen.

The intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation on migration issues is hiring a Conflict Resolution Officer to be based in Senegal. The position is located within the IOM Office of the Ombudsperson and Mediation Services and assists staff members with employment issues following IOA standards. The contract is for nine months and reports to the IOM Ombuds, Indumati Sen.

Earlier this year, Cynthia Paccacerqua was selected as the next Faculty Ombuds for UTRGV, the public research university at the southern tip of Texas. As the half-time Ombuds, she serves about 1,200 UTRGV academic employees and follows the inaugural Ombuds, Veronica Cano. Paccacerqua takes on the Ombuds role and continues as Associate Professor of Philosophy and Affiliate Faculty in Mexican American Studies.

Job Posting: Yale University

The private research university in New Haven, Connecticut has opened a search for its first University Ombudsperson. The new position will serve faculty, staff, and graduate and professional school students across the university. (Merle Waxman served for many years as the Ombuds for Yale's school of medicine until her retirement in 2022.) Yale's new president (to whom the Ombuds will report), announced the search in a public post and explained: "I am prioritizing this role—even during our period of restrained spending—because of the comments and suggestions I have received from all of you."

The private, historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida, has named Ashley Thomas as its first University Ombudsman and Title IX Compliance Officer. According to her website, as the Ombuds, she is a "confidential and impartial resource dedicated to serving the entire Bethune-Cookman University community—students, faculty, and staff." The university's Title IX policy includes Thomas's Ombuds title and identifies her at the Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer for the same constituents.

ACCUO Unveils New Website, Branding, Social Media

The Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (Association des ombudsmans des universités et collèges du Canada) has debuted a revamped website and branding. The updated media and materials are designed to "capture the essence of ACCUO: independent, impartial, and accessible, with a design that is modern, professional, and dynamic." In addition, ACCUO/AOUCC has launched channels on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. (ACCUO: Website, LinkedIn; Instagram; YouTube.)

University of Warsaw Confirms Ombuds

Magdalena Miksa has been appointed to a three-year term as the Academic Ombudsman for Uniwersytet Warszawski, Poland's largest university. For the past year, she has served as the acting University Ombudsman, following Anna Cybulko in the position. Miksa previously served as the Deputy Academic Ombudsman for Student Affairs and as the Anti-Mobbing Coordinator since 2018.

In September 2024, Indumati Sen was selected as the next Ombudsperson for IOM, the United Nations organization that promotes cooperation on migration issues. Sen brings nearly two decades of Ombuds one of the first to earn CO-OP designation and also served on the IOA board of directors. (LinkedIn.)

This year, the Office of the University Ombudsman at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) marks its 40th year, while the Red de Organismos Defensores de los Derechos Universitarios (REDDU), the network of Mexican university Ombuds offices, marks 20 years. Both REDDU and UNAM are active, international partner organizations of ENOHE, the European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education.

Modernist Studies Association Names First Ombuds

The professional association for scholars of early twentieth-century literature, art, music, and performance has selected Sarah Wasserman as its inaugural Ombuds. She will provide services to members and conference attendees following IOA standards.

The public university in Texas has opened an internal search for its next Staff Ombuds. UHD established an Ombuds program for faculty and staff in 2009. This search will replace Amanda Clay, who served in the collateral-duty role for the past year. (The Faculty Ombuds position, meanwhile, is vacant.) The part-time position pays a monthly stipend of $150 and serves over 700 staff members.

Book Chapter Examines Ombuds Work in Czech Universities

A new book from Springer Nature explores the role of higher education management during crises and analyses the responses and gendered consequences for women in particular. One chapter looks at the work of Ombuds in the Czech Republic, "Ombuds on a Glass Cliff: Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Czech Higher Education." The authors are all sociologists at the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences: Marcela Linková; Zuzana Andreska; and Michaela Fikejzová.

University of Colorado Boulder Hires an Associate Ombuds

Jason Q. Sinocruz has joined the Ombuds Office at Colorado's flagship public university. As the new Associate Ombuds, he reports to Director, Kirsi Aulin, and joins two Faculty Ombuds, Yem Fong and Jerry Hauser, and Ombuds Program Administrator, Maggie Howard. Sinocruz fills a position previously held by Elizabeth Hill. He is expected to handle cases from students, staff, faculty, and administrators, and assist with training and outreach efforts.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Closes Ombuds Office

The flagship campus of the California Polytechnic State University System will close its Office of Student Ombuds Services on October 6, 2025. Patricia Ponce established the program in 2010 and has served the study body of 21,000 students singlehandedly since then. An email from Cal Poly SLO's Chief of Staff explained,

Job Posting: International Federation of Liberal Youth

The transnational, Berlin-based organization for liberal youth is seeking its first Ombudsperson. The new position has characteristics of both Classical and Organizational Ombuds. (The position receives complaints and conducts investigations, but IFLY's code of conduct refers repeatedly to an Organizational Ombudsman.) Moreover, "Funding is not guaranteed" for the position.

Job Posting: Cornell University

The Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York, is hiring an Assistant Ombuds. The new, full-time position will join the University Ombuds, Bruce Lewenstein, and Assistant Ombuds, Ati Alipour. This is a new position and not a replacement for the role held by Linda Falkson, who is retiring after 17 years in the position. The Assistant Ombuds is an on-campus position that serves faculty, staff, and students (excluding Weill Cornell Medicine).

W3C, has contracted with tEQuitable, a consultancy headed by Lisa Gelobter, for its Ombuds program. The nonprofit internet standards organization had appointed a group of Ombuds after launching an Ombuds program in 2014 to assist internal and external stakeholders. During this time, however, the role of the W3C Ombuds was never been explicitly defined, despite a working group that considered IOA standards in 2019. Wc3's recently updated Code of Conduct for Incident Resolution and Ombuds does not specify IOA standards, but tEQuitable follows Organizational Ombuds tenets. (W3C Code of Conduct.)

Brookhaven National Lab Selects Ombuds

Brooke Wichmann has been named the Ombudsperson for the U.S. Department of Energy laboratory in Long Island, New York. She will revive and revise a program that was previously headed by Susan Foster (but who did not practice to IOA standards).

The next webinar from the European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education focuses on incivility in higher education. The 90-minute online program, "The Role of the Ombuds in Preventing and Responding to Academic Bullying on University Campuses," is set for November 25, 2025, at 4:00-5:30 UCT+1.

A recent PhD dissertation by John T. Baugus at Fielding Graduate University, is titled, "Living the Ombuds Ideals: Independence, Impartiality, Informality, and Confidentiality in the Practice of the Organizational Ombuds." Baugus is the Associate VP for HR at Azusa Pacific University. Howard Gadlin was a member of the dissertation committee. The full paper is available online.

Job Posting: University of the Pacific

The private Methodist-affiliated university with its main campus in Stockton, California, has opened a search for an Ombuds. The full-time position will reestablish an office that closed in 2022 when the inaugural Ombuds, Hector Escalante Meza, moved to the University of California Merced following substantial changes to the program. The current job posting indicates that UoP intends to return to an IOA-compliant program. An unsuccessful search in 2022 sought a collateral-duty Ombuds that was embedded within the Office Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Travel to campuses in Sacramento and San Francisco is required.

DFG (Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft) is offering multiple workshops for Ombuds over the next 14 months covering the basics of the Ombuds role, and skills including mediation and conflict management. The instructors will be Kirsten Hüttemann, Director of the Scientific Integrity Team, German Research Foundation, and Bonn Anke Kautz, a mediator, coach, and trainer in Berlin.

The two-day basic workshops will be offered on the following dates:

The International Ombuds Association is collecting compensation data for its 2025 Compensation Survey. As the only survey of its kind for Organizational Ombuds, the data is critical in helping practitioners advocate for fair and equitable salaries, as well as supporting those establishing new offices or expanding existing ones. If you were paid as a Ombuds or lead an Ombuds office, whether not you are an IOA member, you should participate.

V4 OmbudsLink Formed to Promote University Ombuds in Central Europe

University Ombuds in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia have launched a regional network through a new initiative, “V4 OmbudsLink: Fostering Collaboration Across Borders.” The project is funded by the International Visegrad Fund and coordinated by the Czech Ombuds Platform in Education (ŠOP, Školská Ombuds Platforma) with partners the Academic Network for Safety and Equality in Poland (ASBiR, Akademicka Sieć Bezpieczeństwa i Równości) and the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Slovakia (UCM), and has support from the European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education (ENOHE).

Job Posting: New York University

The private university in NYC is set to hire a Director of Faculty Relations. According to the posting, the "role will serve as a central, neutral resource for faculty relations, functioning in many respects like an ombuds who offers impartial guidance, helping faculty and academic leaders navigate complex personnel issues, and fostering constructive dialogue." The position reports to the Associate Vice President of Employee and Labor Relations.

The public university in Chester County, Pennsylvania, has shut down the website for its Student Ombuds Office and changed the title of its inaugural Student Ombuds, Lisa (Lisa Michelle Scott) Montgomery, to Director of Student Advocacy and Resources. There was no public explanation for the change. Meanwhile, Bessie Lee Lawton has been named WCU's new Faculty Ombuds. She follows Joan Woolfrey, who established the program in 2020 and is assisted by Linda Stevenson, the Alternate Ombuds.

Sana Manjeshwar, Chevron's Global Principal Ombuds Manager, has left the company and formed her own Ombuds consulting firm. She was with Chevron's Ombuds program for a dozen years, with six years as the leader. Prior to that, Manjeshwar was the Ombuds for AllianceBernstein. She is a frequent speaker and advocate for Ombuds, and served on the IOA Board of Directors. (LinkedIn.)

Free Speech Purge Snares UWF Collateral Duty Ombuds

In May of this year, a hidden camera caught Aurora Osborn, the Director for the Office of Campus Culture and Access and Student Ombudsperson, explaining how the university could bypass Florida's ban on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming. The footage showed Osborn having a casual conversation with someone off camera and it was unclear whether she was speaking as the administrator for Culture and Access or as the Ombuds.

Last week, late night TV talk show host, Stephen Colbert introduced an Ombudsman for his show. This was in response to Paramount's announcement of a Ombudsman for CBS News and Jimmy Kimmel's suspension by ABC. “Apparently, having a conservative overseeing your programming is a way to stay on the air, and I would love to be able to finish out the last season of my show,” Colbert said.

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