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).

World Wide Web Consortium Outsources its Ombuds Program

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). 

ENOHE Webinar Looks at Academic Bullying

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.

Dissertation Examines "Ombuds Ideals"

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.

German Research Foundation Announces 2025-26 Training Sessions

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:

Call for Participants: IOA 2025 Compensation Survey

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.

West Chester University Ends Student Ombuds, Names Next Faculty Ombuds

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.

Chevron's Ombuds Goes Independent

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.

Stephen Colbert Appoints a News Ombudsman

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.

Call for Presenters: IOA 2026 Annual Conference

The International Ombuds Association is inviting presentation proposals and speaker suggestions for its 21st Annual Conference, which will be held virtually on April 13-15, 2026. Proposals are due by October 3, 2025, and will be considered by the IOA Conference Committee Programming Subcommittee. Organizers "are particularly focused on innovative offerings to connect with attendees across the world" and "encourage submissions for short presentations that focus on ombuds’ creative work and wellness or practice tips."

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.

Spelman College Creates Ombuds Program

Erika Walker-Cash has been tapped to launch an Ombuds Program for the private, historically Black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. In the new role, she will provide services to faculty, staff, and 2,400 enrolled students. Although there is not a website for the office, the official announcement indicates that Walker-Cash will follow typical standards for Organizational Ombuds. 

Ombuds for Cal Poly Pomona Adds Terms of Service

Mark Patterson, the Director of Conflict Resolution Services and University Ombuds at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona has imposed new terms of service on visitors to his website. A disclaimer explains, "By using the services of the Cal Poly Pomona Office of Conflict Resolution Services and Ombuds, you agree to be bound by the Terms of Use." 

Full details on a second, linked page state: 

Update: Ombudsman Races to Top of World Standings

After an impressive win at the Juddmonte International Stakes in York, England, the four year old thoroughbred stands alone at the top of Longines World Best Racehorse Rankings. This recognizes Ombudsman as the best active racehorse in competition this year. The four year old colt, is expected to race next at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in California on November 1, 2025. (IFHA.)

Endometrial Cancer Research Foundation Names First Ombuds

John K. Mitchell has been appointed the Ombuds for ECRF, the Los Angeles-based foundation that funds research and advocates for endometrial cancer patients. Mitchell is a professional mediator and real estate attorney with over three decades years experience, devoting the last ten years exclusively to mediating high conflict and complex cases individually and as an appointed Federal mediator.

Job Posting: University of British Columbia

The large public university in Vancouver, is hiring a Dialogue & Conflict Transformation Facilitator. The position" leads the planning, developing, delivering, and evaluation of a range of proactive and responsive dialogue and conflict transformation initiatives." While it’s not within the UBC Ombuds office, it does involve the kind of informal conflict engagement work that closely aligns with U.S. models of Ombudsing. The Facilitator reports to the Associate Director, Capacity-Building and Conflict Transformation

European Union of the Deaf Youth Names Ombuds, Seeks Two More

Loran Ripard Xuereb has been named a 2025-26 Ombuds for EUDY, the European organization of national associations of deaf young people. The organization says that it is seeking two more Ombuds, but application criteria are not publicly available. The EUDY Ombuds serve on an independent committee and act as mediators for issues involving EUDY members and other internal bodies, including EUDY's board. The Ombuds committee also forwards complaints to the board.

University of South Florida Adds an Ombuds

The large, public research university in Tampa, has hired Laura Zuppo as full-time Ombuds. She joins Jennifer Schneider, who has led the Student Ombuds Office since 2015. Together, they serve 50,000 students across three campuses: USF Tampa, USF St. Petersburg, and USF Sarasota-Manatee, including students affiliated USF Health. (In addition, Steve Prevaux is the USF Faculty Staff Ombuds.)

After One Year, "In Practice" is Most Read Feature on IOA Blog

One year ago, the IOA's blog, The Independent Voice, began publishing a regular column about the ethical issues faced by Ombuds. Bryan Hanson, the Grad Student Ombuds at Virginia Tech, is credited with the inspiration for the column. Since then, "In Practice" has developed into a lively public forum and regularly receive the largest readership on the blog. The monthly "In Practice" posts are available to the general public and offer insights into the regular work of Organizational Ombuds. (IOA Blog.)

Job Posting: Concordia University

The public university in Montreal is hiring a full-time Associate Ombudsperson for a three-year contract. The position will report to Concordia's Ombudsperson, Amy Fish, and serve all members of the Concordia community. It is not clear whether or not the search will fill a position currently held by Associate Ombuds, Firas Ayoub. In 2023-24, the office opened 625 files.

Update: Paramount Chooses a Unconventional News Ombudsman for CBS

Earlier this week, Skydance Media and Paramount Global fulfilled their promise to the Federal Communications Commission with the appointment of Kenneth Weinstein as the News Ombudsman for CBS. The role, also known as a public editor or readers' representative, is usually a bridge between the public and the newsroom, characterized by independence and impartiality. Qualifications for a News Ombudsman typically include strong journalism experience, excellent communication skills, and the ability to act as a neutral and independent investigator. Weinstein is a longtime, conservative policy analyst who has served as an advisor in the Trump administration. AP points out that his resume "bears little resemblance to how this watchdog role has traditionally operated in journalism." (Variety; AP News.) 

UNC School of the Arts Adds an Ombuds

Elizabeth (“Liz”) Whiting is the new, part-time member of the Ombuds Team at UNCSA, the public arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, N.C. She joins University Ombuds, Jill Crainshaw, and will provide services to faculty, staff, and administrators.

ABA Ombuds Committee Posts September 2025 Newsletter

The Ombuds Committee of the American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section has published a newsletter with several articles by and about Organizational Ombuds.

These include:

Job Posting: Asian Development Bank

The regional development bank based in Metro Manila, Philippines, is seeking its next Ombudsperson. The search will fill a position held by Wayne Blair since 2018. The full-time position will lead an office that provides Ombuds services to all ADB stakeholders and reports to the bank president. The initial appointment will be for three years and may be renewed once. The office practices to IOA standards.

University of Tennessee at Martin Creates Ombuds Program

Merry Brown has been appointed the inaugural Ombuds for the UT campus in northwest Tennessee. She is expected to provide services to over 1,100 faculty and staff on the rural campus. Although details about the office are not public yet, other Ombuds programs in the University of Tennessee follow IOA standards. 

Canadian Security Intelligence Service Appoints Inaugural Ombuds

In July 7, 2025, Elianne Hall became the first Ombuds for CSIS (Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité), Canada's foreign intelligence service and security agency. She will establish and develop an Office of the Ombuds for an agency that has been roiled by serious allegations of discrimination and workplace misconduct, including allegations of rape by a senior officer. Hall is expected to "provide a complementary channel to help employees navigate existing internal mechanisms and programs associated with a respectful workplace, mental and physical wellness, accessibility, internal disclosure, and public service values and ethics."

MWI Selects a Senior Ombuds Manager

Vik Kapoor has been hired by MWI as its first Senior Manager of Ombuds Program Success and will start September 24, 2025. In this new role, Kapoor will serve as the main point of contact for active clients, lead new program rollouts, and support our ombuds teams to ensure they have what they need to serve clients well.

National University Sponsors Ombuds Day 2025 Webinar

National University and its Ombudsman, LaCrisia "Cris" Gilbert, are hosting a fee webinar to celebrate Ombuds Day. After a welcome by NU's president, Donna Douglass Williams, the Ombuds at Pinterest, will offer a keynote address on "Ombuds: Empowering Voices, Resolving Challenges." A panel discussion on Promoting Ombuds & Dispute Resolution follows with Tom Kosakowski, Ombuds at the University of Southern California, and Jack Hamlin, Professor in the NU School of Public Service at National University. Aurelia Bickler, NU Professor Social & Behavioral Sciences, will offer an opening mediation. 

Phyllis White: Former Ombuds at University of Massachusetts Amherst

Phyllis A. White, who served as Assistant Ombudsman at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, passed on August 30, 2025. She earned her Master's degree in Higher Education Administration at UMass Amherst and she later worked in the Ombuds office. Her work in social services culminated as Programs Director at the Franklin/Hampshire Career Center in Northampton, from which she retired in 2016. (MassLive Obituary.)

Public Services and Procurement Canada Upgrades Ombuds Program

In May, 2025, Judith Brunet was appointed the new Ombuds for Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada, the department responsible for the Government of Canada's internal servicing and administration. This in an expanded position that integrates the responsibilities of the former PSPC Mental Health Ombuds Office (previously held by Mario Baril) and the Office of Shared Ombuds Services (OSOS).

Youngstown City School District Unveils Ombuds Program

Martin Freeman has been appointed the inaugural Ombudsman for the public school system in Northeast Ohio. He will serve nearly 5,000 students across 17 school sites, plus families, staff, and community members. 

Pacific University Establishes Ombuds Office

The private, religious university in Forest Grove, Oregon, has unveiled an Ombuds program to serve its faculty, staff, and administrators. The Pacific Ombuds Team is provided by MWI with Derrick Johnson and Birthe Reimers serving as the Ombuds. The new program reports to Pacific University's president operates under charter that adopts IOA standards. 

Strong Utilization Continues for CalSTRS Ombuds Office

The Office of the Ombuds for California State Teachers Retirement Fund released its annual report for 2024-25. According to Mark Gini, CalSTRS Ombuds, and Christina Nguyen, Associate Ombuds, the office handled about 330 cases in 2024-25 — down from 460 the prior year but still well above the 210 cases reported when it launched in 2019-20 — showing continued strong demand. 

Mediate.com Conference Aligns with Ombuds Day 2025

Mediate.com celebrates Ombuds Day at its next on-line conference, "Rising Tides: Raising the Standards of Mediation Conference," on October 8-9, 2025. This year’s Workplace Track (on Ombuds Day) is dedicated to the evolving role of Ombuds and workplace conflict resolution leaders. The keynote speaker, Chuck Doran, will highlight how Ombuds strengthen organizational culture, build trust, and address conflict before it escalates. 

Alabama Adapted Athletics Names First Ombuds

Kimberly Gibson has been appointed the inaugural Ombud for the University of Alabama Adapted Athletics. She "will provide free, independent, and impartial consultation and problem-solving support to all UAAA athletes [including] discipline, participation concerns, policy interpretation and eligibility questions, interpersonal conflicts, conduct, and discrimination, safety, well-being, and harassment matters."

Ombuds for Northern Virginia Community College Adopts AI Statement

The two Ombuds for NOVA, Tanneh Kamara and Shawn Addison , have added a statement to their website about the use of artificial intelligence. They frame the use of AI within IOA standards, especially the commitment to confidentiality. 

This appears to be the first articulation of AI practices by an Ombuds.

Virginia Commonwealth University Hosts 2025 Conflict Resolution Day Event

VCU's Ombudsperson, William King, has announced details for his 12th annual National Conflict Resolution Day program on October 19, 2025. The keynoter for the program this year is Mark E. Rubin, a mediator and facilitator with the McCammon Group. The theme for the one-day conference is ""Navigating Difficult Situations in a Moving Landscape." The rest of the day includes panel discussions and group work on managing conflict with other campus leaders. As usual, the event is free and open to the public.

Job Re-Posting: University of Iowa

The public research university in Iowa City has reopened its search for an Assistant Ombuds. Details for the posting have not changed appreciable, with the exception of a slightly longer posting period. The part-time position will serve faculty, staff and students, including all of UI Healthcare. The Assistant Ombuds will report to University Ombudsperson, Chanelle Reese, and join an office that includes Assistant Ombuds, Corey P. Pass, and Faculty Ombuds, Meenakshi Gigi Durham.

Ombuds Day 2025: Call for Event Info

The eighth annual Ombuds Day will be celebrated on Thursday, October 9, 2025, with the theme of “Ombuds: Empowering Voices, Resolving Challenges.” The organizers, ABA Dispute Resolution Section’s Ombuds Committee and Ombuds Day Subcommittee, is compiling a list of planned events that will be featured on the Ombuds Day. Any and all Ombuds can submit details about their events using a simple Google form. (Ombuds Day Event Submission Form.)

IOA Forms Roundtable for Ombuds Leaders

The International Ombuds Association has launched a group for Ombuds leaders. Organized by Shannon Lynn Burton, the Ombuds Administrator Roundtable is "a casual, peer-led bi-monthly space for ombuds leaders who supervise staff and lead ombuds programs." Interested Ombuds should submit a short interest form.