University of Toronto Selects Next Ombuds

Faye Mishna, will become uToronto’s next University Ombudsperson, starting a three-year term beginning July 1, 2025. Mishna is a Professor of Social Work and an expert on bullying, cyberbullying and the use of new technologies in the field of social work. She follows Bruce Kidd, who has served in the role since 2021. As the Ombuds, Mishna will head an office that operates across all three campuses and serves students, staff, faculty, librarians, and alumni. The Ombuds reports to the university's Governing Council. 

International Political Science Association Names First Conference Ombuds

Francesca Longo and Min Hee Go have been appointed as Ombudspersons for the 2025 IPSA World Congress. In this new role, they will provide Organizational Ombuds to members and attendees before and during the conference in Seoul on July 12-16, 2025. According to IPSA, the new Ombuds are part of an effort to support IPSA’s Anti-Harassment Policy. They will be "receiving and addressing complaints, issuing notices for policy violations, conducting confidential investigations with input from all parties involved, and recommending resolutions to the IPSA Executive Committee."

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 follow the former Acting Ombudsperson, Whitney Barrett, and join Associate Ombuds, Stephanie Bolingbroke.

Job Posting: University of Rochester

The private research university in Upstate New York seeks its next University Ombuds. The search will fill a position established by Lynnett Van Slyke in 2022. The Ombuds serves all campus stakeholders and practices to IOA standards. The position reports as part of the Provost's Office and also coordinates an Ombuds Affiliate Network (see below).

Job Posting: SOS Children's Villages, Togo

The Austria-based international development organization is hiring a National Ombuds to be based in the capital city of Lomé. The position will to report to the Regional Ombuds, Sambieni Bienvenu. The initial appointment will last one year, with a possible extension.

Toronto Metropolitan University Chooses New Ombuds

Jessica Shabtai has appointed as new Ombudsperson for Students at TMU. She follows former Acting Ombudsperson, Gemma Kerr (who has moved to Ombudsman Toronto), and joins Assistant Ombuds Jemmy Erhiaganoma and Edmun Natkunarajah. Shabtai will lead and office that serves 48,000 enrolled students, plus applicants and former students, following ACCUO and FCO standards of practice.

Internship: SAP, Germany

The Global Ombuds Office for the German multinational software corporation is seeking a intern. The paid internship is focused communications projects, but the tasks will be varied and include independent and collaborative projects. After an initial six-month internship, the position may transition to a student employee. The SAP Ombuds office is based at SAP's headquarters in Walldorf, but the internship alternately could be located could somewhere else in Europe, Middle East, or Africa. Up to 10% travel may be required.

Job Re-Posting: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The private research university in Cambridge has reposted its search Ombudsperson across multiple job sites. The search will fill a position recently vacated by Nick Diehl. The position works as a team with the other MIT Ombuds, Judi Segall. Reporting to the President, the two MIT Ombuds serve as a resource for all members of the diverse MIT community, including faculty, staff, postdocs, and students — a total population of nearly 35,000.  

CPR Institute Ombuds Webinar is Aimed at Corporate Counsel

On March 5, 2025, the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution will offer a webinar, "The Organizational Ombuds - What Corporate Counsel Might Want to Consider." Speakers are slated to include: Chuck Howard, Ombuds Consultant; Robyn Diaz, Senior VP & Chief Legal Officer at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (which created an outsourced Ombuds program in 2023; and Chuck Doran, Ombuds and Executive Director of MWI. 

IOA Foundations In-Person Training Offered at 2025 Conference

This year, the International Ombuds Association's signature, training course will be offered in-person only once. Foundations will be offered immediately before IOA's 20th Annual Conference in Miami, Florida, on 4-6 April 2025. Registration is now open.

Coastal Carolina University Names Ombuds for Faculty and Staff

After an extended search, the public university near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has appointed Tina L. Cloud as its next Faculty and Staff Ombuds. She follows Renee Smith in the part-time position that reports to CCU's President and practices to IOA standards.

DHS Policy Manual Explains Role of Office of Intelligence and Analysis Ombuds

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis is the civilian national intelligence service for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Within the last two years, I&A became one of several U.S. intelligence agencies with an Organizational Ombuds program for its workforce, with two, fulltime Ombuds. Like many Ombuds in security agencies, their identities are not public. A newly released, unclassified policy manual details how the Ombuds office operates. [Read it before it disappears.] 

UN Reaffirms Support for Ombuds Institutions, Excludes Organizational Ombuds Again

In December 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 79/177, emphasizing the role of Ombudsman and mediator institutions in promoting human rights, good governance, and the rule of law. The resolution is strikingly similar to another resolution adopted in 2020. Both notably omitted any mention of Organizational Ombuds or the International Ombuds Association.

IOA Opens Election for 2025 Board of Directors

Members of the International Ombuds Association have begun voting for the next slate of IOA's Board of Directors. Seven candidates are running for five open seats with four current directors running for a second term and three new candidates on the ballot. All elected candidates will begin their service following the IOA Annual Meeting on 16 April 2025.

Job Posting: UN Funds and Programmes

The Ombuds Office for the United Nations' global development network is seeking multiple Conflict Resolution Consultants. The fixed-term, part-time, full-report positions will serve an initial one-year contract. Some travel to UNDP field offices is required. The positions report to the UNDP Ombudsman Patrick Voigt. 

Call for Participants in Ombuds Research

A student at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Houda Ismaili, is conducting an anonymous survey of ombuds visitors in different organizations. The research is being supervised by two professors, Laura Armstrong and Brent Epperson. Ismaili aims to study the experiences of minority and non-minority visitors who have received Ombud services and all responses are confidential. More information and a link that can be shared with visitors: EASE Study.

Internship: University of Alberta

The Office of the Student Ombuds at at UAlberta will hire two Undergraduate Ombuds Interns. The full-time, paid positions will work with undergraduate students on issues related to academic problems, academic offenses, and student conflicts (including residence disputes). The appointments will last one year and report to the Director of the Student Ombuds, Natalie Sharpe, and work with the Undergraduate Ombudsperson, Laurel Wilkie (who got her start as an Ombuds intern).

Central State University Debuts Ombuds Office

CSU has selected Jonathan Hairston as its first Director of the Office of Student Ombuds. He will serve about 5,500 enrolled students at the public land-grant university in Wilberforce, Ohio. He reports to the President's Chief of Staff and follows IOA standards.

University of Waterloo Selects Experienced Ombuds

Whitney Barrett has been appointed the new Ombudsperson for the public research university in Ontario. She will re-establish and manage an office to serve approximately 40,000 students following ACCUO standards of practice and reporting to the University Secretary. Barrett comes to UWaterloo after five years at Western University, most recently as Acting Ombudsperson. 

Federal Courts Complete Ombuds-Like Program for Staff

A new website shows that the all federal circuit courts now have a Director of Workplace Relations. These new positions, "offer a point of contact external to an employee’s local court, providing confidential advice and information regarding options for addressing and resolving workplace conduct concerns.

(Guest Post) Navigating the Ripple Effects of a New Presidential Administration with the Crystal Ball

In this special post, Reese Ramos, the University Ombuds & Director at Virginia Tech, offers thoughts on how Ombuds should anticipate the ripple effects from a new Trump administration, including shifts in workplace policies, DEIB rollbacks, funding changes, and increased stress among visitors. He believes these challenges will impact the Ombuds profession itself, with potential office closures, compassion fatigue, and greater demand for conflict resolution services. Here is his full essay.

Job Posting: Kaiser Permanente, Southern California

KP has reopened its search for a full-time HealthCare Ombuds/Mediator for its medical facilities in West Los Angeles, 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.

USC Add an Assistant Ombuds

Stacy Rouse has joined the Office of the Ombuds at the University of Southern California as an Assistant Ombuds. In this new, full-time role, she will serve as an Ombuds and provide high-level administrative support to USC's two University Ombuds, Katherine Greenwood, CO-OP, and Tom Kosakowski.

New Administration Ends Department of State Ombuds Program

Reliable sources are confirming that the Office of the Ombudsman at the U.S. State Department is being dissolved. All current Ombuds, several who had been hired in recent months, are on administrative leave pending the termination of the program. The move clearly surprised the office, which had opened searches for three new Ombuds in early December. No other details have been made public. 

Czech School Ombuds Platform Holds 2025 Colloquium

Školská Ombuds Platforma held its fourth annual Colloquium on January 16–17, 2025, at the University of West Bohemia. This year’s event, “How to Approach Notifications? Perspectives and Challenges in Ombudspersons’ Practices,” provided a space for university Ombuds and others to explore handling reports of unethical behavior and difficult situations in academic settings.

Inter Miami to Host Ombuds Night

On April 6, 2025, Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami will host Ombuddies Night Out! The MLS club will take on Toronto FC the night before IOA kicks off its annual conference. Inter Miami plays at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, which is about 32 miles away. Tickets range from $65 to $105. (FEVO.)

IOA Conference Updates: Virtual in 2026; British Columbia in 2027

The International Ombuds Association announced details for its next two annual conferences. In 2026, the conference will be held virtually, much like the 2021 COVID conference. In 2027, the conference resumes an in-person format and will be held in Vancouver. To mitigate the lack of an in-person event in 2026, IOA will hold its September Symposium at a location to be determined. 

Job Posting: University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota Twin Cities has opened a search for an Ombudsperson. The position is within Student Conflict Resolution Center and reports to finn j. schneider, University Ombuds and Director. The job is located East Bank of the Minneapolis and a hybrid schedule is available. 

Ibero-American Network of University Ombuds Gather for Fourth Meeting

In November, 20204, Red Iberoamericana de Defensorías Universitarias (RIdDU) convened for its fourth annual meeting at the Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal in Lima, Peru. Representatives of 86 member universities from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Spain, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Portugal gathered to discuss Ombuds work with the theme of “The impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Rights.”

Kent State University's Faculty Ombuds Now Serves Staff

Kent State's Faculty Senate, Provost, and VP of People have approved a charter that extends Ombuds services to all university staff. Shannon Driscoll, who became the inaugural Faculty Ombuds in March 2024, is now the Staff and Faculty Ombuds. (Students are now served exclusively by the longtime Student Ombuds, Amy Quillin.) The updated Ombuds charter reiterates the commitment to IOA standards. (KSU Faculty & Staff Ombuds.)

Dawson College Suspends Ombuds Services

The public college outside Montréal, Quebec, has "temporarily closed" its Ombuds Office. Louise Shiller served as the Ombudsperson as recently as June 2024 and has served a student body of 11,000. It is not clear why the program has been suspended. (Dawson Ombuds, BOG Minutes.)

Job Posting: UN World Food Programme, South Africa

The food assistance branch of the United Nations is hiring an Ombuds Consultant to be based in Johannesburg. The full-time position will provide Ombuds services to WFP employees in the region and reports to the WFP Ombudsman and Director, Katya Melluish in Rome. The initial contract will be for 11 months last four years and significant travel is required.

Osgoode/FCO Advanced Ombuds Certificate Returns April 2025

The Forum of Canadian Ombudsman and Osgoode Professional Development are offering their intensive program on advanced Ombuds practice in April 2025. The course building on the success of the Osgoode/FCO Certificate – Essentials for Ombuds, this program is designed to teach skills for complex challenges and provides hands-on learning with leading experts and real-world case studies.

Job Posting: University of California Los Angeles

The large research university in Southern California has opened a search for Campus Ombudsperson and Director of Ombuds Services. The search will fill a position held on an interim basis by Thomas Griffin since June 2022. Other members of the office currently include Brenda Woods-Patin, Natalie Gibson, and Ariella Morrison. The full-time, hybrid eligible position reports as part of the Chancellor's office and practices to IOA standards.

Houston Community College Reopens Ombuds Office

Michael Edwards has been appointed as the new Ombudsman for the Texas community college system. He will restart a program that has been dormant for several years following the departure of Christena Alcorn. Edwards will provide services to nearly 5,000 faculty and staff across eight campuses, practicing to IOA standards.

Growth in Cases Continues for Austrian Student Ombuds in 2024

The head of the Austrian Student Ombuds Office (Ombudsstelle für Studierende), Anna-Katharina Rothwangl, said her office saw a 6% increase in cases in 2023-24. This followed a 21% increase last year. The 822 issues came from a student body of 425,000 students enrolled at 77 different colleges and universities. The report also provides new recommendations to the legislature and updates on prior recommendations. (Austrian Student Ombuds 2024 Executive Summary.)