University of Tennessee, Knoxville Ombuds Releases 2025 Annual Report

Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, UTK's Campus Ombuds, has released her annual report, summarizing case activity, outreach, and educational programming for fiscal 2025. During the year, her office served 381 unique individuals through 623 visitor contacts, including 515 new monthly visitors and 108 repeat visitors. Visitor concerns involved 380 unique situations and 243 ongoing situations. A survey found that 97% of visitors reported overall satisfaction with their Ombuds consultation.

The report also documents the office’s education and outreach efforts. Ombuds staff facilitated 64 workshops totaling 120.2 instructional hours and reaching 877 participants, along with 48 outreach events that reached 1,706 participant contacts. Based on FY25 findings, the office identified three focus areas for next year: awareness-building through expanded education and outreach; enhanced support for individuals and teams navigating organizational change; and strengthened partnerships with formal offices to support dignity and psychological safety in the workplace and academic environment. (UTK Ombuds 2025 Report.)

Prior posts: University of Tennessee Announces Next Ombuds; University of Tennessee Expands Ombuds Office with New Associate; Ombuds at University of Tennessee Posts Annual Report; University of Tennessee Knoxville Ombuds Shares 2023 Annual Report; US News & World Report: "What Students Should Know About College Ombuds"; University of Tennessee Knoxville Ombuds Posts Fifth Annual Report; University of Tennessee Knoxville Adds an Ombuds.