ENOHE Offers Conference Grants for New Ombuds from the Global South

The European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education is offering grants to support up to five higher education Ombuds who are new to the field to attend its 2026 annual conference at AGH University of Krakow. Launched in 2025, ENOHE's initiative is intended to expand access for Ombuds in the Global South with fewer than three years of practice. Each grant covers the conference registration fee and provides a €500 stipend toward travel and accommodation expenses.

New Jersey Bill Would Establish Transfer Ombudsperson

The New Jersey General Assembly is considering A1315, which would create a New Jersey Transfer Ombudsperson within the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. (An identical bill is pending in the state senate.) The bill would authorize the Ombuds to assist students and public institutions with credit-transfer disputes, serve as an impartial third-party mediator upon request, review the statewide transfer agreement, and issue an annual public report. The bill has been referred to the Assembly Higher Education Committee. 

Extended Call for Presenters: CIDR's 2026 Symposium at Saint Paul University

The Centre for Informal Dispute Resolution at Saint Paul University in Ottawa has extended the submission deadline for its annual symposium in May 2026. The deadline for proposals is now March 2, 2026. The hybrid virtual and in-person conference, "Navigating Crises: The Evolving Role of ADR Practitioners and Ombuds in Turbulent Times," will be keynoted by Bernie Mayer. (CIDR Call for Papers and Panels.)

Save the Date: IOA September Symposium 2026

The International Ombuds Association has announced that its September Symposium will take place on September 30 and October 1, 2026, at the Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, DC. Further details will be posted when they become available. (IOA Events.)

U.S. House Bill Would Create New Intelligence Ombuds at DHS

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill (H.R. 7435) that would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an Intelligence Transparency and Oversight Program Office and an Intelligence Ombuds within the Department of Homeland Security. The proposal appears focused on intelligence-related transparency and oversight matters within DHS and has been referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Job Posting: University of California, San Francisco

The UCSF Office of the Ombuds is seeking an Associate Ombuds. The full-time position will report to Director and Ombuds, Ellen Goldstein, and join two Associate Ombuds, Kate Flynn and Paula Trejo-Phillips, and Ombuds Coordinator, Jonah Pedersen. The Associate Ombuds provides impartial, informal, independent, and confidential services to faculty, staff, trainees, students, and Medical Center employees. Regular onsite work is required, but a hybrid schedule is available. 

ABA Ombuds Committee Open Meeting for Early Career Ombuds

The Ombuds Committee of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section is hosting a three-part series on the life cycle of an Ombuds. The first session is "Emerging Ombuds: New & Early Career Reflections" and takes place on February 24, 2026, at 12:00pm EST. All three sessions are open and free to nonmembers. 

Call for Presenters: USOA 2026 Conference in Michigan

The United States Ombudsman Association is seeking plenary and breakout session speakers for its 45th annual conference. The event is set for September 2-4 at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Acme, Michigan. Speakers should be interested in sharing their knowledge and experience relevant to the Public Service Ombudsman profession and USOA membership is not required.

IOA Foundations Course Coming to San Francisco and Ottawa in May 2026

The International Ombuds Association will offer its signature, in-person training only twice this year. (There are nine opportunities to take Foundations virtually.) The three-day training is set for May 4-6 in San Francisco, California, and May 13-15 in Ottawa, Ontario. Registration is now open and registration is capped at 36 participants for each course.

Medizinische Hochschule Hannover Names Next Ombuds

Karin Weißenborn has been appointed the next Ombudsperson at The Hannover Medical School in Germany. She follows Thomas Werfel, who served for 12 years in the role and who will now be the Deputy Ombuds. As the MHH Ombuds, Weissenborn promotes the fair resolution of conflicts of interest and helps clarify or prevent unfair work in scientific research at the university. She explained, "As Ombudsperson, I make every effort to resolve conflicts neutrally, objectively and in a solution-oriented manner, and I hope for the support of the respective parties to the conflict." 

Video: From Decision Scientist to Ombuds

In a video interview conducted at the Society for Medical Decision Making last year, Scott B. Cantor recounts his professional journey from full-time decision scientist to Ombuds. (Cantor has been an Ombuds with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center since 2018.) In the interview, he describes how principles of decision science inform his current practice, including how he assesses options, supports difficult choices, and approaches conflict resolution.

Job Posting: Northeastern Illinois University

The public state university in North Park, Chicago is seeking its next Ombuds. The search will reopen a program that has been dormant since 2022, when the prior Ombuds, Tyler Smith, returned to the National Institutes of Health. The NEIU Ombuds is a full-time, IOA compliant position that reports to the University President and serves faculty, staff, and 8,000 students. 

University of Iowa Seeks Next Faculty Ombuds

The public research university in Iowa City has opened an internal search for its next Faculty Ombuds. (Meenakshi Gigi Durham has served in the role since 2021.) The part-time position will join an office that includes University Ombudsperson, Chanelle Reese, and Associate Ombuds, Corey P. Pass, . There is an on-going search for an Assistant Ombuds.

ABA House of Delegates Endorses Organizational Ombuds Practices Act

The American Bar Association House of Delegates has adopted Resolution 503, endorsing the Organizational Ombuds Practices Act and urging states to adopt it. The resolution reflects decades of ABA engagement with Organizational Ombuds work and marks a significant step toward clarifying and protecting standards of practice. The next phase will be state-level adoption and, ultimately, codification of the Act in statute. 

Dutch Union Examines Growth in University Ombuds

An article published this week by the Algemene Onderwijsbond, the Netherlands’ largest education-sector union, reviews the implementation of mandatory university Ombuds offices four years after their inclusion in the 2021 collective labor agreement. While every university is now required to provide staff access to an Ombuds, the article reports uneven implementation, including departures and dismissals of Ombuds at some institutions. Interviews with practitioners and union representatives highlight wide variation in mandate, scope, staffing levels, and institutional support, particularly regarding whether Ombuds are empowered to conduct independent investigations and influence structural change. 

Emeritus Ombuds on Distinguishing Program Structure From Embeddedness

In a recent post on his blog, Bruce MacAllister examines the growing confusion in Ombuds discourse around the term “embedded,” particularly when it is used interchangeably to describe both an Ombuds program’s structural placement and an Ombuds’ depth of organizational fluency. 

Job Posting: Union for Reform Judaism

URJ, the New York-based nonprofit representing over a third of adult American Jews is seeking its next Ombuds. The search will fill a position established by Caroline Cuneo in 2022. The remote, hourly contract role will provide services for community members across URJ worksites and programs, including 14 residential camps. The Ombuds will support individual conflict resolution, provide group facilitation when appropriate, and identify systemic concerns following IOA standards. The position is expected to average 15–20 hours per month and starts ASAP. 

University of Colorado Boulder Names Second Associate Ombuds

CU Boulder has hired Detric Robinson as Associate Ombuds. He joins an Ombuds office led by Director Kirsi Aulin and including Associate Ombuds Jason J. Sinocruz and two Faculty Ombuds. Robinson will provide services to students, staff, faculty, and administrators, and supports outreach efforts, focusing on undergraduate students.

World Health Organization Affirms Support for Ombuds Program

At its most recent meeting, the WHO's the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board the Ombudsperson's 2025 report. Executive Board members expressed support for the Ombuds function and the need to ensure adequate resources across all regions. In response to the noted vacancies in Ombuds positions at headquarters and in the Africa, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific regions, the committee promised to expedite

Job Posting: University of Virginia

Virginia’s flagship public university is seeking its next University Ombuds. The search will fill a position held by Amanda Monaco since 2022. The UVA Ombuds manages a program that serves nearly 40,000 faculty, staff, and students and supervises the UVA Health Ombuds, Henry Yampolsky, and a Program Coordinator. The position budgetarily reports to the AVP for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, but maintains strict independence in its casework and direct lines of communication with university leadership.

SAP Adds an Ombuds for India and Asia-Pacific

SAP has appointed Ranju Gupta as its first Ombudsperson for India and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, based in Bengaluru. The appointment expands the reach of the SAP Global Ombuds Office, which is headed by Carsten Pöschl and also includes Danillo Alves for SAP Americas and Agnes Eising for EMEA. 

Job Posting: University for Peace

The United Nations affiliated university in Costa Rica is seeking an Ombudsperson for a one-year contractual appointment, with the possibility of extension. The search will fill a position held by Laura Navarrete since 2022. The part-time role (about four hours per week) reports to the Rector. The position is is focused on enforcement of institutional policies and compliance with Costa Rican law, a significant change from the search that created the position. Several included duties are outside the scope of IOA standards, including: receiving and acting on complaints; advising disciplinary panels; and organizing investigations.