Kansas State University Selects First Student Ombuds

After an internal search, K-State has chosen Kimathi Choma as its first Student Ombudsperson. (Tara Coleman, Drew Smith, and Anne K. Phillips continue as the university's Ombuds for faculty and staff.) Choma takes on the new role in addition to his work as Assistant Dean of Diversity, Recruitment, and Retention, a position he has held for the past seven years. The appointment fulfills a promise made by K-State's president in July 2020 in response to Black Lives Matter protests on campus.

Kansas State University Opens Internal Search for First Student Ombuds

Following up on a promise made by K-State's president in July 2020, the university has created a search committee to find its first Student Ombudsperson. "The student ombudsperson will provide professional-level services in support of student concerns of equity, harassment and discrimination, as well as assist the university with staying abreast of climate concerns for all student populations and ensure that students’ concerns are received, reviewed and resolved by the appropriate units." 

Ombuds at University of Oregon Reports Continued Case Growth in 2020

UO Ombudsperson Brett Harris said that her office assisted 622 visitors in the 2019-20 academic year, continuing a five-year trend of growth. The most significant change in visitors occurred in graduate student cases, which increased from 7.8% of total cases in 2018-19 to 14.9% last year. Harris believes the increase was possibly due to dedicated outreach efforts. Unsurprisingly, she also reported, "Cases related to job security, telework, safety of work environment, and climate related to civil rights concerns all increased compared with previous years."

World Health Organization Ombuds Posts Report from Pandemic Year

At the end of a year dominated by a world pandemic, WHO Ombudsman, José Martínez-Aragón, released his annual report. The report describes the activities of the WHO Ombuds program; outlines the most relevant systemic issues identified last year; and follows up on the administration’s response to the recommendations made in previous reports. The report will be considered by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting this week.

2020 Year in Review: Courage and Crises

In 2020, Ombuds were challenged by the health care crises triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and the growing awareness of systemic racism and inequities. While these two problems were most profound in the U.S., they were certainly felt in other countries as well. On top of these issues, three Ombuds programs were dragged into the spotlight during conflicts within their organizations. 

Ombuds at University of Pennsylvania Report Surge in Cases During "Stressful" 2019-20 Year

Recapping a year that "brought many challenges to the Penn community and to the Office of the Ombuds," University Ombuds Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin and Associate Ombuds Marcia Martínez-Helfman report that their cases rose 8.7% in the 2019-20 academic year. University staff accounted for the largest proportion of visitors (45%), followed by faculty (24%), graduate and professional students (16%), undergraduate students (9%), post-doctorates (3%), and others (4%). in providing Ombuds services to over 40,000 faculty, staff, and students.

University of South Carolina Aiken has a New Ombuds

Earlier this year, USCA appointed Melencia Johnson as its next Student Ombuds, refilling a position held most recently by Brittney D. Alls. Johnson serves about 3,300 students at the public university in the Central Savannah River Area of South Carolina. Johnson practices to all four tenets for Organizational Ombuds and her website has unique language about neutrality. She explains that she "is impartial, serving as neither advocate nor apologist for any members or offices of the USC Aiken community."

Healthcare Ombuds to Discuss Pandemic and Black Lives Matter for IOA Roundtable

The International Ombudsman Association has announced the next virtual program which will feature Ombuds from a range of healthcare settings. IOA's "Community Connections" series is designed to keep its members connected and provide relevant educational programming. The healthcare roundtable will take place on Zoom on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, 9:00 AM PDT / 12:00 PM EDT.

K-State President Promises Student Ombuds

In a statement yesterday, Richard Myers, President of Kansas State University, committed to creating a Student Ombudsperson Office. Myers was responding to the local Black Lives Matter protest, #BlackAtKState, and promised multiple other action steps. The campus already has an Ombuds Office for faculty and unclassified professionals, including administrators university. 

FOIA Request Reveals Ombuds Feedback About Ole Miss Confederate Monument

On June 18, 2020, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning voted to remove a Confederate monument from the University of Mississippi campus. The decision followed years of outcry from students, faculty and others. This week an Ole Miss professor posted emails from the University Ombuds, Paul Caffera, conveying feedback from visitors to the Ombuds Office. The emails were obtained through a public records act request and posted on Twitter by James M. Thomas.

ACCUO Statement Endorses Black Lives Matter

After hearing from its members the annual general meeting on June 17, 2020, the executive committee of the Association of Canadian College and University Ombudsperson issued a Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The statement includes recommendations for Ombuds to support anti-racist efforts.

Here is the full text:

Pitt School of Medicine Agrees to Black Students' Petition for Reforms, Promises Ombuds

Last Thursday afternoon, the Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine agreed to a wide range of demands from Black students. Over 400 students had signed a petition seeking changes such as scholarships for Black students to additional support staff to reforming curriculum and policies. According to an email obtained by The Pitt News, Anantha Shekhar, the Senior Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and the School’s Dean, agreed to many of the demands, including the appointment of an Ombudsperson.

Mary Rowe on What Employees Need Now

Rowe, a former Ombuds at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and adjunct professor at the Institute's School of Management, recently offered her thoughts on "one critical action or change that could improve the lives of working people in the United States during and after the COVID-19 pandemic." Not surprisingly, she said that employees need more say in the conditions they face in returning to work and that Ombuds are critical.

IOA Calls for Fairness and Justice

Today, the International Ombudsman Association released a statement to its members in response to the protests following the killing of George Floyd. The letter by IOA Board President, Melanie Jagneaux, has been posted to the association's (now public) blog, The Independent Voice.

Cal Caucus Releases Statement on Black Lives Matter

Yesterday, the California Caucus of College and University Ombuds released a statement on Black Lives Matter. Here's the full text of what was sent in an email to members:

SUNY Potsdam Appoints Ombuds in Partial Response to Student Protests

The State University of New York near the Canadian border has yielded to some of the demands made by a student group seeking to improve treatment of ethnic minorities. In addition to firing Dean of Students William G. “Chip” Morris, SUNY Potsdam President Kristin G. Esterberg appointed Anthropology Professor Alan L. Hersker, as the first Ombuds for the campus.

Brandeis University to Create Ombuds Office

In response to student protests regarding diversity on campus, the private university in Massachusetts has agreed to appoint a campus Ombudsperson. Students occupied the school's administration building for nearly two weeks and had issued a list of 13 demands seeking to address the unfair treatment of minorities in higher education. The ninth item demanded by the Brandeis students was for an Office of Ombuds. On Tuesday, Interim President Lisa M. Lynch, released a letter detailing measures the students found acceptable. 

Students Call for Ombuds at Syracuse University

Following days of campus protests over diversity and sexual assault issues at Syracuse, student activists passed a resolution calling for immediate and longer term changes. Among the demands, the resolution also asks Syracuse Chancellor Kent Syverud to hold an open forum where he can receive community feedback and to create an Ombuds position to protect student rights and interests.