IOA Board Elects 2025 Leadership

The Board of Directors for the International Ombuds Association has announced the election of its officers for the 2025 term. All are long-time volunteers and professional Ombuds. The IOA Board meets at least monthly, with more meetings for the executive leadership.

San Francisco State to Hire Next Ombuds

San Francisco State University has opened an internal search for its next Director of Strategic Initiatives and University Ombudsman. The search will fill a position held most recently by Theodore Albiniak, who is Ombudsperson for UC Law San Francisco. The full-time position has "three interrelated roles: serving as the University Ombuds, leading strategic initiatives, and managing community relations efforts." The position reports jointly to the Offices of the President and University Advancement.

Rutgers Expands Ombuds-Like Service for Staff

Cherekana Feliciano has joined the Employee Partners for Conflict Transformation (EmPaCT) Office at Rutgers University as an Associate Conflict Navigation Specialist. She will work with Frieda Hoffman, the inaugural Conflict Navigation Specialist, providing services to university staff that generally follow IOA standards. Meanwhile, Rutgers has existing Ombuds programs for students and medical trainees.

Job Posting: Ombudsman's Committee for Scientific Integrity in Germany

Ombudsgremium für die wissenschaftliche Integrität in Deutschland (OWID) is hiring a Deputy Head of Office based in Berlin. The full-time, permanent position will handle cases and concerns related to scientific practice and integrity in higher education, and assist with managing staff and volunteer Ombuds. The position reports to Hjördis Czesnick, the Head of the OWID Office. 

IOA Announces 2025 Distinguished Emeriti

This week, the International Ombuds Association recognized three retired members as Distinguished Emeriti. The award comes from peer nominations and is given only to retired Ombuds with a record of significant service. 

This year the honor was given to:

Job Posting: Central State University

The public land-grant university in Wilberforce, Ohio (the state's only HBCU), is has reopened its search for a Director of the Office of Student Ombuds. Reporting to the President's Chief of Staff, the Ombuds will serve about 5,500 enrolled students. In February, CSU announced that Jonathan Hairston had been hired for the position. An updated website for the office no longer includes his name.

Call for Participants: Ombuds in Higher Education

The European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education is updating a landmark survey. In 2017, ENOHE published a monograph by Rob Behrens, "Being an Ombudsman in Higher Education." The document has been cited many times by ENOHE and elsewhere, and it is now due for an update. ENOHE is inviting participants to complete a questionnaire to map the strength and diversity of Ombuds in higher education in Europe and beyond.

Meet the Ombuds for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas

In November 2021, Lori LaBrie was appointed the inaugural Ombuds for TRS of Texas, the sixth largest public pension fund in the U.S. She provides services to TRS members and retirees with benefits issues and practices to IOA standards. 

Minnesota Legislature Proposes Ombuds for Homeowners Associations

The Minnesota House of Representatives approved an omnibus budget bill that includes language to create a new Ombuds to facilitate disputes between residents and homeowner associations. Unlike HOA Ombuds in other states, the Minnesota proposal does not grant the Ombuds investigatory powers. Other features echo standards used by Organizational Ombuds, including independence, informality, trend reporting, and dispute resolution expertise.

Job Posting: University of Western Ontario

The public research university in London, Ontario, is hiring an Associate Ombudsperson. In addition to Ombuds work the position will also be responsible for "key operational functions" (e.g. coordinating financial processes, managing appointment scheduling, and overseeing front-line communications). The position will report to the the Acting Ombudsperson, Joan Finegan. and and join Associate Ombuds, Stephanie Bolingbroke.

IOA Announces Bestows 2025 President's Awards

Last week, the International Ombuds Association Board President, Sarah Klaper, announced the 2025 President’s Award. The recipients were:

IOA Publishes Long-Awaited Ombuds Book

The International Ombuds Association has published its first book: The Organizational Ombuds: Foundations, Fundamentals & The Future. Written by practicing Ombuds, the book offers a thorough and current overview of the profession. Edited by Shannon L. Burton (Ombuds at Michigan State University) and Loraleigh Keashly (Professor of Communication at Wayne State University), the book is a comprehensive compilation of the interdisciplinary and nuanced history, theory and practices found within the field.

American Educational Research Association Adds a Conference Ombuds

Kamaria B. Porter will join Shannon Lynn Burton as Ombuds for AERA's annual conference, April 23-27, 2025. The professional association for academic researchers implemented an Ombuds program for conference attendees, staff, exhibitors, vendors, and others in 2019. Porter is Porter is the Associate Ombuds at Northwestern University and a long-time AERA annual meeting attendee. Burton is the University Ombudsperson at Michigan State University and was one of two inaugural Ombuds for AERA. (AERA Newsroom.)

IOA Elects 2025 Board of Directors

At its annual conference last week, the International Ombuds Association announced the results of its latest election for the Board of Directors. One new board member was voted onto the board after an unprecedented run-off election in early April. The new board member and four reelected incumbents for three-year terms starting after following the IOA Annual Meeting on 16 April 2025.

University of California Santa Barbara Selects an Associate Ombuds

In September 2025, Pati Montojo was joined the Ombuds team at UCSB as an Associate Ombuds. The filled a position vacated by Don Lubach and reports to the Campus Ombuds, Caroline Adams. Montojo will work with faculty, staff, and student visitors.

University of Utah Names Four Ombuds

The U of U has reopened its Office of the Ombuds with four collateral duty Ombuds: Karen M. Gunning, Clinical Professor of Pharmacotherapy and Associate Dean of Community Engagement; Patricia K. Kerig, Professor of Clinical Psychology; Maureen Murtaugh, Professor of Internal Medicine; and Trina G. Rich, Director of University & Academic Affairs Policy Administration. Together, they provide Ombuds services to students, trainees, faculty, post-doctoral fellows, staff, and other employees, including University of Utah Health,l (Utah Ombuds.)

World Bank Retains a Consultant Ombuds

Diana Vermeul has been hired as an Ombuds Consultant with the World Bank Group. She joins four other Ombuds: Caroline Nekesa Wanyonyi in Bangkok, Thailand; Doris Cecilia Campos-Infantino in Washington, DC; Axel R. Peuker in Washington, DC; and Jules Baughns in Nairobi; Kenya. Vermeul moves into the position from the World Bank Respectful Workplace Advisors Program, where she has worked for the past two years. She received the IOA President's Award in 2024.

ABA Panel Aims to Inform Corporate Counsel About Ombuds

On May 14, 2025, the American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section will offer a webinar on "The Organizational Ombuds – Why Your Company Needs One and What Counsel Should Know." The panel will feature Sana Manjeshwar, Global leader of Chevron´s Office of Ombuds, Steven Prevaux, Faculty Staff Ombuds at the University of South Florida, Mark C. Fava, Vice President and Ombudsman for The Boeing Company, and Chuck Doran, Executive Director of MWI.

SUNY Oneonta Debuts Ombuds Program

The State University of New York at Oneonta has unveiled an Office of the Ombudsman to serve faculty, staff, and students. Michael Kush, the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students has been named the inaugural Ombuds. The new program explicitly practices to IOA standards. 

University of Houston Names Next Staff/Faculty Ombuds

Arturo E. Hernandez has been appointed the next Ombudsperson for faculty and staff at the public research university in Texas. He follows Richard Bond, who served in the role since 2006 and supplements the work of& Funda Sahin, the Ombuds for graduate and professional students at the public research university in Texas.

Call for Proposals: Cal Caucus 2025

The California Caucus of College and University Ombuds is seeking speaker proposals for its annual in-person meeting. The unique and intimate caucus is set for November 9-12, 2025, at the rustic and historic Asilomar Conference Grounds. This year's theme is, "Finding Solid Ground in Shifting Sands." The deadline for proposals is May 2, 2025.

University of Maryland, Baltimore Names First Research Ombuds

Bruce K. Krueger has been appointed to the newly established position of Research Ombuds in the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Office of the Provost. Kreuger will provide Ombuds services to the UMB research community — including faculty, postdoctoral scholars, students, and staff — who may have concerns or questions regarding research misconduct and other research-related issues. His work will supplement that of Brian Godette, the long-time UMB Ombuds for faculty and staff.

Amsterdam UMC Selects Next Ombuds

Carolijn Winnubst was appointed the Ombudsman for Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra in August 2024. She follows Henny Krijnen, who served in the role for nearly five years. As the Ombuds, Winnubst heads a program that includes the Confidential Affairs office and provides services to UMC employees.

CIDR's 2025 Symposium is Loaded With Ombuds Sessions

The Centre for Informal Dispute Resolution at Saint Paul University in Ottawa has released the agenda for its second annual symposium and there are many sessions for and about Ombuds. Organized by two professors at USP: Brent Epperson and Jean-François Rioux, this year's theme is, "Building Better Workplaces: Toward Comprehensive Conflict Resolution Systems." 

Here is a list of the sessions relevant to Ombuds:

Call for Presenters: USOA 2025 Conference in Colorado

The United States Ombudsman Association is seeking speakers for its 44th annual conference set for October 22-24, in Vail, Colorado. Speakers should be interested in sharing their knowledge and experience relevant to the Public Sector Ombudsman profession and USOA membership is not required.

Hanyang University Creates Ombuds Program

HYU (한양대학교), the private research university in South Korea, has appointed its first Ombudspersons. The team of Ombuds will serve faculty, staff, and students at ERICA, the Education Research Industry Cluster in Ansan, located in Gyeonggi Province. According to an announcement, "Hanyang University ERICA explained that it established the Ombudsperson Office to enhance communication among its members and improve institutional practices, campus culture, and the overall environment, thereby creating a healthier campus." 

University of Groningen Names Interim Ombuds

Marianne Dijkhuizen has been appointed the interim Ombuds for Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the public research university in the Netherlands. She follows the inaugural Ombuds, Carolijn Winnubst, who created the position in September 2021. Dijkhuizen continues as the Ombuds for NHL Hofeschool and previously worked as a contract Ombuds with De Vertrouwenspersoon B.V. for eight years. (UG Ombuds; LinkedIn.)

Insights From UN Ombuds on Sources of Conflict

Vassilena Gashparova, the Senior Conflict Resolution Officer and Ombudsman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is the author of an article in yesterday's UN Today. She offers her view on the anatomy of conflict, its hidden causes and complex realities. Gashparova considers five key forces as identified by Bernard Mayer which are central to conflict dynamics:

Job Posting: University of Washington

The University of Washington has opened a search for an Associate Ombud. (This office consistently uses "Ombud" rather than "Ombuds" following a recommendation from the university’s Scandinavian Language Department.) While the office supports the entire university community, including students, this position is focused on serving faculty, staff and leadership, and expected to work on 200-250 cases per year. The Associate Ombud will report to the University Ombud, Chuck Sloane, and is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement.

Job Posting: University of Massachusetts Amherst

The flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system is hiring an Associate Ombudsperson. The full-time position will report to Colette Carmouche, who was named the University Ombuds in December 2024. The Associate Ombuds will assist in providing services to over 38,000 faculty, staff, and students, practicing to IOA standards.

Career Workshop for Ombuds in Transition

Vik Kapoor, an Ombuds Consultant for UNICEF, UNDP, UNWOMEN, UNFPA and UNOPS, and ICF-certified coach, is hosting a two-hour public workshop on Thursday, April 10, 2025. The workshop, "Finding Your North Star," is intended for professionals who are unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise facing a lack of clarity as they explore their career path. Kapoor will draw on a range of tools to help people craft their own personal mission statements and a loose action plan to get going. 

Midwest Political Science Association Adds an Ombuds

Sarah Klaper will join Tyler Smith as the Conference Ombuds for political science association's annual conference in Chicago, April 2-6, 2025. Klaper is the University Ombuds for Northwestern University and the current IOA Board President. (MPSA Conf Info.)

McGill University Sets Committee to Find Next Ombuds

The leading public university in Montreal has created an "Advisory Committee to the Provost and Executive Vide President (Academic) ... for the selection of an Ombudsperson for Students." The committee includes representatives from the administration, governing board, faculty, and students, and will oversee the recruitment and selection of McGill's next Ombuds. The University Ombuds is a part-time position that, along with the Assistant to the Ombuds, Carmela Parzanese, serves over 40,000 students. (McGill Advisory.)

Ombuds as a Solution for Academia’s Postdoc Bullying

An editorial in yesterday's Chronicle of Higher Education asserts that "a lack of oversight and accountability allows abusive faculty mentors to operate unchecked in research labs." This is a situation that many University Ombuds know well. The author, Azmi A. Ahmad, is a postdoctoral researcher at Yale, a notable R1 university without an Ombuds program. He offers steps universities should take to mitigate harassing behavior in their research labs, including the creation of an Ombuds program: 

• Overhaul grievance procedures to ensure that reporting mechanisms are clear, accessible, and effective. An ombuds office that meets international standards would provide a confidential, independent, and neutral one-stop shop for postdocs. 
• Offer robust protections against retaliation — including intimidation — and provide timely, decisive responses to complaints. Create pathways for postdocs to access letters of recommendation or even legal assistance in cases in which litigation is possible or their immigration status is threatened. 
• Improve the mentoring and supervisory skills of faculty members. Offer training on “bystander intervention” and on “how to be an ally.” 
• Commit to applying grievance procedures consistently and fairly — and then do so. 
• Evaluate academic departments to assess the effectiveness and compliance with institutional grievance procedures. The outcomes of complaints and evaluations should be reported to funding agencies and oversight committees. 

(Chronicle of Higher Ed.) 

Related posts: Letter to a Workplace Harasser; University Ombuds Remains a Goal for Faculty and Students at Yale; Podcast: Virginia Tech Ombuds on Academic Bullying; SHRM White Paper Promotes Ombuds as Tool for Workplace Bullying.

Department of Homeland Security Eliminates Classical Ombuds for Immigrants

An Executive Order one week ago slashed the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman and the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman. These two offices provided oversight of the for people with immigration-related issues related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Job Posting: University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The University of Maryland campus in Cantonsville (not to be confused with UM Baltimore in downtown Baltimore) is hiring its first Faculty Ombuds Officer. This will be the newest Ombuds within the University System of Maryland. The full-time position will report to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and serve nearly 1,000 academic staff, practicing to IOA standards. A hybrid telework schedule may be available. 

FOIA Requests Target CISA's Ombuds

A recently published log reveals that an investigator using the Freedom of Information Act is demanding correspondence from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency's Organization Ombuds, Dallas Brown, along with other staff members. The FOIA requests seek a wide range communications with the Ombuds for May through September 2024.

Peruse Ombuds Dissertations at Nova Southeastern University

The Department of Conflict Resolution Studies at NSU Florida has been publishing its students' theses and dissertations since 2012. Four dissertations in the past two years have looked at the work of Ombuds and all are available online:

Will Work For Food to Host Ombuds Webinar

On April 24, 2025, Chuck Doran will present a free webinar for WWFF on "The Organizational Ombuds – What A Mediator Might Want To Know About This Unique Role." WWFF is a five-year old nonprofit that offers educational webinars by and for attorneys, mediators and arbitrators. In lieu of a fee, attendees are urged to make a donation to a local food bank. ;

Georgia Institute of Technology Selects Ombuds

The public research university in Atlanta has appointed Dona Yarbrough as its next Ombudsperson. She will reopen an office that has been shuttered since 2012. As the Ombuds, Yarbrough will serve about 38,000 faculty, staff, and students. Yarbrough comes to the position from Auburn University, where she has been the Associate Ombuds since November 2023.

Colorado Legislature Defunds Unfilled Courts Ombuds

Last week, the Colorado State House of Representatives cut the funding for the Office of Judicial Ombudsman. The program, which was approved in 2023, had a $400,000 budget, but had never been opened. Legislators, working to cover a $1.2 billion state shortfall were happy to reclaim the money.

SHRM White Paper Promotes Ombuds as Tool for Workplace Bullying

Kira Nureli, Ombuds and leadership consultant, is the author of a new white paper published by the Society for Human Resource Management. "The Importance of Workplace Civility" offers several strategies to mitigate workplace incivility, including Ombuds. Nureli, who heads Harmony Strategies Group, says, "Use a dispute resolution service or organizational ombuds to address civil behavior breaches quickly and thoroughly."

Gdańsk University of Technology Names First Doctoral Student Ombuds

Aleksandra Mielewczyk-Gryń has been appointed the first Ombudswoman for the Rights of Doctoral Students at Gdańsk Tech. She will serve about 500 graduate students at Poland's oldest technical university. According to a university announcement, Mielewczyk-Gryń will: Ensure compliance with doctoral students’ rights at the University; and Act as a mediator in conflicts involving doctoral students, seeking amicable and fair resolutions. 

African Union Adopts Charter for Ombuds Office

The African Union Commission has adopted "Operational Guidelines" for its Ombudsperson and Mediation Services Division. The document was finalized earlier this month and endorsed by the AUC Chairperson, HE Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the inaugural Head of Ombudsman and Mediation Division, Fouad Hendel.

Meet the New Ombuds for the University of Trento

In October 2024, Lucia Rodler was named the Student Ombudsman for the Università degli Studi di Trento. The university in northern Italy enrolls about 17,000 students. Rodler follows Donata Borgonovo Re, who served in the role for the prior three years. Rodler has been a professor of Italian Literature in the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences since 2005. She earned her PhD at the University of Bologna. (University of Trento Garante Studentesca.)

Seminar to Explain Role of German Scientific Ombuds

The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior is hosting a seminar titled "Ombudspersons in Science – Structures in Germany, Duties of an Ombudsperson" on April 29, 2025. Wolfgang Fiedler and Michael Mende, the institute's recently-elected Ombudspersons, will provide an overview of the Ombuds system in Germany, emphasizing the role and responsibilities of Ombuds in upholding research integrity and mediating conflicts.

VU Amsterdam Interviews Both Ombuds

This week, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam published interviews with Jacqueline Schoone, the Staff Ombudsperson, and Pelin Zenginoğlu, the Student Ombudsman. Both shared information about how they work with visitors and offered some personal insights on the value of their work. Schoone, who was appointed in April 2024 talked about what makes the job meaningful to her:

Syracuse Ombuds Solicits Feedback from Campus

Syracuse University Ombuds Neal Powless is inviting feedback via on online survey. The survey "seeks to gather input from individuals who have utilized the office’s services as well as those who have not." Login credentials are not required to complete the Qualtrix survey and responses will be anonymous and confidential. (Syracuse News.)

Executive Order Slashes Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

An Executive Order signed by the President on Friday, "eliminates non-statutory functions and reduces statutory functions of unnecessary governmental entities to what is required by law," applying to FMCS and several other entities. FMCS is a small federal agency that provides mediation and other conflict resolution services, including Ombuds services, to prevent work stoppages and labor disputes.

Pinterest Adds an Ombuds

Awab Al-Rawe became the newest Ombuds at Pinterest in August 2024. He reports to Donna Douglass Williams, CO-OP, Head of Ombuds, and joins Teresa Ralicki, Ombuds Analyst, and Shawday Berstler, Senior Ombuds Specialist. (Berstler was promoted from Ombuds Program Manager in June 2023.)