Ombuds at University of Victoria Posts 2025 Annual Report

Angus Shaw, the Ombudsperson for UVic, has released his 2025 annual report, highlighting administrative fairness issues identified through the Office’s work with students. Shaw handled 449 cases in 2025, roughly the same as the 452 cases handled in 2024. Academic concessions were the most common type of case, accounting for 16.7% of the total, followed by academic integrity and faculty or staff behavior, each at 11.5%. The Office also reported approximately 6,700 unique visitors to its website, up from about 6,000 in 2024. 

Université de Sherbrooke Ombuds Posts 2026 Annual Report

UdeS Student Ombudsman Marie-Claude Laquerre, and Deputy Ombudsman, Stephanie McFarlandhave published the office's annual report for 2025-26. Laquerre reports that the office received 362 new requests and closed 357 files during the reporting period. Although the number of student cases declined by 10% from the prior year, the report attributes much of this decrease to lower international student enrollment associated with recent immigration-related challenges in Canada. At the same time, the office saw substantial increases in matters involving internships and clinical placements, as well as interpersonal conflicts and professionalism concerns. 

New Service Offers Data Analytics Support for University Ombuds

Isabel Brooke has launched Insight Ombuds Analytics, a niche service that provides data management and reporting support for university Ombuds offices. The venture offers assistance with case tracking, data analysis, and annual reporting, with the goal of reducing administrative burdens and allowing Ombuds to devote more time to assisting visitors. 

American Economic Association Publishes Ombuds Annual Report

The professional association of economists has published its 2025 “Ombuds Summary of Activity” in the May 2026 issue of AEA Papers and Proceedings, marking what appears to be the first time an Ombuds annual report has appeared in an established professional journal. The report summarizes the work of the AEA Ombuds program, which was relaunched as an Organizational Ombuds in 2024. 

University of Iowa Ombuds Releases 2024–25 Annual Report

Iowa's Office of the Ombudsperson reported 455 new visitor appointments for FY2025, with Professional & Scientific Staff making up 42% of visitors. The office is led by University Ombudsperson Chanelle Reese, with Faculty Ombudsperson Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Senior Assistant Ombudsperson Corey Pass. (Heather J. Erwin joined as a half-time Assistant Ombudsperson earlier this month.) 

IOA's Ombuds Release 2025 Annual Report

The International Ombuds Association's Ombuds, Laura C. Smythe and Tyler S. Smith, reported increased engagement in 2025, handling 33 cases and 51 individual visits, up from 16 cases and 35 visits in 2024. They noted that many interactions followed the IOA Annual Conference, underscoring the role of in-person events in surfacing concerns. Most visitors were affiliated with academic institutions and had between two and ten years of experience. Cases were split between IOA-related concerns and issues arising in members’ home institutions.

Georgetown University Student Ombuds Releases 2024-25 Annual Report

Georgetown's Student Ombuds, Daniela Brancaforte, reports that she served 377 student visitors in the 2024-25 academic year and logged 427.25 hours in consultations, group visits, and informal mediations. She conducted 26 outreach events, reflecting continued efforts to raise awareness of services across the campus community. The report highlights a wide range of student concerns, including wellbeing, evaluative relationships, and communication challenges, as well as questions arising in a rapidly changing academic and social environment. (Georgetown Student Ombuds 2024-25 Report.)

University of Pennsylvania Ombuds Releases 2024-25 Annual Report

UPenns’s Deputy Ombuds Waged Jafer and University Ombuds Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin have released their 2024-25 annual report. The office reported 229 visitors, a 6% increase from the prior year, with staff comprising the largest share (38%), followed by faculty (21%) and graduate/professional students (17%). Employment-related concerns remained the most common (39%), followed by academic issues (33%). 

University of Nevada, Las Vegas Ombuds Releases 2025 Annual Report

David G. Schwartz, CO-OP, the UNLV Ombuds, has published his fifth annual report, summarizing his work during 2025. The office recorded 635 visitors and 952 total contacts, representing a 4.27% increase over 2024 and a 35.61% increase since 2023. Half of all visitors returned for more than one consultation.

University of Waterloo Ombuds Releases Inaugural Annual Report

Whitney Barrett, the inaugural Ombuds at uWaterloo, has issued her first annual report, covering the office’s initial eight months of operation. The Office, which includes Associate Ombuds Sam Vandekerckhove, received 55 cases from January through August 2025 and reported an average of 8.28 connections per case, reflecting sustained engagement with visitors. The vast majority of visitors were students, consistent with the Office’s primary focus on supporting the student experience. The report also features four “stories from the threshold” illustrating the types of concerns brought forward. (Waterloo Ombuds 2025 Report.)

UC Berkeley Staff Ombuds Office Posts FY25 Report

The Staff Ombuds Office at the University of California, Berkeley has released its 2025 Annual Summary of Activity, reporting 234 cases and 13 facilitated discussions. More than a quarter of the cases were assessed as "a high organizational impact, involving senior leadership or serious policy concerns." Managed under contract with MWI, the office saw the addition of three new Ombuds last year: Tera Bisbee, Ralph Johnson, and Jen Sims; and the departure of Assistant Ombuds Shatika Ricketts.

IOA Group Highlights Growth of K-12 Ombuds

The International Ombuds Association’s K–12 Ombuds Workgroup convened on January 15, 2026, to examine national trends in K–12 Ombuds services and their implications for public education. Monique Bookstein, Ombuds for Prince William County Public Schools, facilitated the meeting, which highlighted the continued expansion of K-12 Ombuds programs across the U.S. The workgroup noted that every state and territory now has at least one education Ombuds role, with rising case volume signaling increased reliance on Ombuds services. 

ADB Ombudsperson Reports Rising Complexity in 2024 Cases

The Asian Development Bank’s Office of the Ombudsperson reported handling 474 cases in 2024, involving 1,828 issues, an increase in overall issue volume despite a decline in the number of cases and individuals served. ADB's Ombuds, Wayne Blair said the data reflects a shift in case complexity, with the case-to-issue ratio rising to 1:4 from 1:3 in 2023. (This is Blair's last report as his term as Ombuds is ending.)

Austrian Student Ombuds Reports on 2024–25 Cases

Austria's national Student Ombuds Office (Ombudsstelle für Studierende headed by Anna-Katharina Rothwangl) received 775 inquiries during the 2024–25 academic year, according to its annual report to Parliament. The independent office serves 440,000 students across 77 higher education institutions and emphasizes information-sharing and student empowerment as its primary functions, with mediation used in selected cases.

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.

WHO Ombuds Reports on Systemic Issues During 2025 Organizational Transition

The World Health Organization’s Ombudsperson has released a report to the Executive Board outlining systemic issues observed in 2025 amid unprecedented budget cuts and organizational restructuring. (Robert Edelmann served as the WHO Ombuds until August 2025, but the report does not name the current Ombuds.) Drawing on confidential interactions across all levels of WHO, the report says the year was marked by uncertainty, reprioritization, and significant human impact. 

Brock University Ombuds Reports on Pivot to Students and 2025 Issues

Since being appointed as the Ombuds for Brock, Heather Bellisario has reoriented her office from a campus-wide resource to one focused exclusively on the needs of students. In her first report, Bellisario summarizes the changes and gives an overview of her casework. In the 2024-25 academic year, she handled 456 matters, with the vast majority coming from undergraduate students.

New Report Outlines Reforms for UN Ombuds Network

The United Nation's Joint Inspection Unit has published a system-wide review of Ombuds and mediation functions, finding measurable progress since 2015 but persistent gaps in independence, access, and resourcing. The report notes expanded mandates, increased professionalization, and the establishment of new Ombuds offices, as well as the coordinating role of the Network of United Nations System Ombudsman and Mediators. At the same time, many UN agency Ombuds still lack up-to-date terms of reference, consistent reporting to governing bodies, and sufficient staffing or regional presence. The review highlights concerns about structural independence (including the use of short-term contracts, limited staff involvement in hiring, and uneven authority over resources) and underscores the impact of these constraints on service quality and trust. 

Ombuds at University of Twente Reports on 2024-25

Han Warmelink, the Ombuds Officer for Universiteit Twente in Enschede, Netherlands, reports that he assisted 44 staff members in 2024-25, compared to around 35 in the prior year. In addition, eight students found their way to his office. 

In his report, he also offers some insight on his work at UT and the status of Ombuds at other Dutch universities:

Université de Sherbrooke Student Ombudsman Releases 2024–25 Annual Report

UdeS has released the 2024–25 annual report from Student Ombudsman, Marie-Claude Laquerre, and Deputy Ombudsman, Stephanie McFarland. The office received 402 new requests, including 160 related to access-to-information issues. Student requests increased 16% from the prior year, while staff requests declined 6%. Most student matters involved evaluation, enrollment, or unclear criteria, and 78% were consultations rather than formal interventions.