The Ombuds Blog: Job Posting: Michigan State University

July 23, 2025

Job Posting: Michigan State University

The public research university in East Lansing will expand its Ombuds Office with the hiring a second Assistant Ombudsperson. The full-time position will report to the University Ombudsperson, Shannon Lynn Burton, and join Assistant Ombudsperson, Ryan T. Smith. The full-time position will assist in providing services to faculty, staff, and students, following IOA standards.

Applicants must have at least a master's degree. Knowledge of data analysis and training, and a two-year commitment are highly desirable. The salary range is $60,000 to $70,000 per year and applications are due by July 31, 2025. (MSU Careers.)

4 comments:

Anonymous7/29/2025 10:48 AM
According to the MSU website, https://listings.lib.msu.edu/, this is a lower salary than academic advisors were earning in 2022. Apparently, ombuds are not all that in the eyes of administrators.
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Anonymous7/30/2025 8:56 AM
Also according to their ombuds website, it appears as if they only provide services to faculty, staff, and students if it is in relation to a student concern. Additionally, their charter looks like it is student centered. Some clarification might be helpful here, as that is quite different than helping employees with various employment related concerns vs student concerns.
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Shannon Lynn Burton7/31/2025 4:22 AM
Thank you for your questions/concerns regarding the posting. As this is an ongoing search, I am happy to answer questions offline about the classification of this position (specialist - advising), the concerns re: charter/website or additional concerns. Please reach out to me directly.
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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany/Austria -- Ombudspersonen and Ombudsleute

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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