KU has selected Dorris Mbogo as its Interim University Ombuds. Mbogo will serve in the part-time role while continuing as Director of Informal Resolution in KU's Office of Civil Rights & Title IX. She succeeds Ada Emmett, who retired earlier this year after nearly 25 years of service in the Ombuds Office and KU Libraries. The interim appointment follows a search limited to current university employees and is not expected to become a permanent position.
Synchrony, the large consumer financial services company is seeking its next Vice President of Ombuds and Ethics. The search will fill a position held by JoAnne Harvey since March 2025. The role combines Ombuds functions with broader ethics, compliance, and conduct risk responsibilities within a corporate governance structure. The role sits within the Risk & Compliance function and is responsible for leading the organization’s Ombuds and Ethics program, including oversight of conflict of interest processes, conduct risk governance, and related ethics reporting and controls. The role is based at the company’s corporate headquarters in Stamford, CT, with hybrid work flexibility.
UTC is hiring its next University Ombuds, filling a position held by Anovia Slaughter since 2024. The office serves faculty and staff, and the role includes casework, outreach, and training responsibilities. The full-time position has a dual reporting structure: the Ombuds reports to the Office of the Chancellor through the Chief of Staff; and a secondary reporting relationship to the campus Human Resources Officer for education and training services.
The community college in Gainesville, Florida, is seeking an Ombuds and Senior Director, Student Affairs. The search will fill a position previously held by Bea Awoniyi. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs, this full-time leadership role also includes oversight of key student support programs, including the Disabilities Resource Center and Displaced Homemakers. The role includes supervision of staff, budget and grant oversight, and collaboration across campus and community partners.
Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is seeking a Senior Training Consultant/Associate Ombudsperson within its Human Resources Organizational Development and Training unit. The full-time role focuses primarily on leadership and workforce development training for faculty and staff while also serving as the Talent Management and Culture Associate Ombudsperson. (It is not clear whether the position reports to Linda R. Archer, the GME Ombudsperson for Virginia Health Sciences.)
WSU, public university in Pullman has adopted a charter for its Office of the Ombuds. The new document states that the Ombuds will practice to IOA standards and was endorsed by WSU's president and provost, and both ombuds, Justin Denney and Lenka Perkins. Perkins joined the Ombuds office in December 2024 and followed Karen Sanguinet.
Marie Vea has been appointed the inaugural Ombuds for the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. As the "Ombuds for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging," Vea serves students, postdocs, staff, and faculty affiliated with the institute. She takes on the Ombuds role as a collateral duty—Vea is also the Assistant Dean for Student Services & Staff Development. Meanwhile, Ralph Swenson continues as the Graduate Student Ombudsperson for UVM on the main campus.
The private, historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida, has named Ashley Thomas as its first University Ombudsman and Title IX Compliance Officer. According to her website, as the Ombuds, she is a "confidential and impartial resource dedicated to serving the entire Bethune-Cookman University community—students, faculty, and staff." The university's Title IX policy includes Thomas's Ombuds title and identifies her at the Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer for the same constituents.
The public university in Texas has opened an internal search for its next Staff Ombuds. UHD established an Ombuds program for faculty and staff in 2009. This search will replace Amanda Clay, who served in the collateral-duty role for the past year. (The Faculty Ombuds position, meanwhile, is vacant.) The part-time position pays a monthly stipend of $150 and serves over 700 staff members.
In May of this year, a hidden camera caught Aurora Osborn, the Director for the Office of Campus Culture and Access and Student Ombudsperson, explaining how the university could bypass Florida's ban on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming. The footage showed Osborn having a casual conversation with someone off camera and it was unclear whether she was speaking as the administrator for Culture and Access or as the Ombuds.
The International Ombuds Association has released a short white paper, "Guidance for Dual Role Ombuds." The document offers advice for Ombuds who hold additional roles within their organization and are seeking to conform to IOA standards. The guidance covers a range of issues, including: Budget and Compensation; Conflicts of Interest Including Mandatory Reporting; Confidentiality; Independence; Building Trust; and Constituency Size. Acknowledging the importance of disclosing the limitations of a collateral duty Ombuds, the guidance also includes a sample opening statement. (IOA Resources.)
