(Guest Post) Mary Rowe's Further Comments on the Proposed IOA Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Mary Rowe, IOA Distinguished Emeritus and former Ombuds at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was a founder of the Corporate Ombudsman Association, the first professional group for Organizational Ombuds, Adjunct Professor of Negotiation and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and thought-leader in the Ombuds profession.

(Guest Post) Sara Thacker Comments on the Proposed IOA Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Sara Thacker, Director & Ombudsperson of the Staff Ombuds Office at the University of California, Berkeley. She has been a member of IOA since its creation and previously served on the IOA Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the IOA Communications Committee.

(Guest Post) Chuck Howard Comments on the Proposed IOA Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Charles Howard, IOA Executive Director and author of The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles and Operations - A Legal Guide. Before becoming the IOA Executive Director, Howard was a long-time attorney for Ombuds and a regular speaker at IOA conferences. [Emphasis and links in original.]

(Guest Post) IOA Executive Committee Comments on the Proposed Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by the International Ombudsman Association's Board of Directors Executive Committee. The groups is comprised of Melanie Jagneaux, CO-OP, Board President and Ombudsman Director at Baylor College of Medicine; Steve Prevaux, CO-OP, Board Vice President and Ombuds Officer for the University of South Florida System; Ronnie Thomson, Board Secretary and Corporate Ombudsman for Sandia National Laboratories; Lee Twyman, Board Treasurer and former Ombuds for the Rochester Institute of Technology; and Willem Kweens, CO-OP, Board Assistant Treasurer and European Ombudsman for Mars, Inc. [Emphasis in original, links to members-only content omitted.]

(Guest Post) Francine Montemurro Comments on the Proposed IOA Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Francine Montemurro, CO-OP, Ombuds for Boston University and the American Finance Association, and former Ombuds at SUNY Binghamton.  She served two terms on the IOA Board of Directors and volunteered on numerous standing committees. 

(Guest Post) Doris Campos-Infantino Comments on the Proposed IOA Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Doris Cecilia Campos-Infantino, Ombuds at the World Bank Group and former Ombuds at the National Institutes of Health and the Inter-American Development Bank. She served two terms on the IOA Board of Directors and her leadership positions included three terms as Vice President. She has been a speaker at multiple IOA conferences and meetings of the Ombudsman and Mediators of the United Nations & Related International Organizations, and an instructor for IOA's "Ombudsman 101" course.

(Guest Post) Mary Rowe Comments on the Proposed IOA Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Mary Rowe, IOA Distinguished Emeritus and former Ombuds at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was a founder of the Corporate Ombudsman Association, the first professional group for Organizational Ombuds, Adjunct Professor of Negotiation and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and thought-leader in the Ombuds profession. [Emphasis in original.]

(Guest Post) Brett Harris and Jai Calloway Comment on the Proposed IOA Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Brett Harris and Jai Calloway. They are co-chairs for the International Ombudsman Association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, but are not writing in their official capacity. Calloway is an independent consultant and Ombuds at Iowa State University, and former Corporate Ombudsman for Halliburton. Harris is the Ombuds at the University of Oregon, and former Ombuds at the University of Mississippi the University of North Dakota.

(Guest Post) Howard Gadlin Comments on the Proposed Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Howard Gadlin, IOA Distinguished Emeritus and former Ombuds at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, LA County Museum of Art, UCLA, and the National Institutes of Health. He has also served as Chair of the Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen, Chair of the Federal Inter-agency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group Steering Committee, and Past President of the University and College Ombuds Association and of The Ombudsman Association.

(Guest Post) Nick Diehl Comments on the Proposed Bylaws

The following commentary was submitted by Nicholas Diehl, CO-OP, Ombuds at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and former Ombuds at Asian Development Bank, American Red Cross, National Institutes of Health, and Princeton University. He is also a Past President of the International Ombudsman Association and a regular instructor for IOA's "Foundations" training course.

Ombuds Blog Poll: What was the Top Story of 2016?

At the end of December, I posted my list of the ten most important news items about Organizational Ombuds last year.  I'd like to know what you thought. Please participate in the poll located in the right panel of the blog.  You may mark as many stories as you thought belonged on the list and add comments if there were any I missed entirely.  I'll post results after the poll closes.

Ombuds Blog Poll: IOA Bylaws Changes

On September 29, 2016, the Board of the International Ombudsman Association will convene a special meeting for members to vote on changes that would: 1. Change IOA's membership categories; and 2. Restructure the eligibility for the IOA Board of Directors.  Whether or not you are an IOA member, do you support the proposed changes to the IOA bylaws?

U.S. Department of Education Suggests University Ombuds Should Report Crime Statistics

A recent DOE publication offering guidance on the Clery Act says that Ombuds should be reporting campus crime data.  The Clery Act is a federal statute that requires colleges and universities to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their campuses.  Failure to comply can impact federal funding.  Under the law, “Campus Security Authorities” are required to disclose any and all reports of crime, which are then collectively reported by the campus.  Previously the agency had declined to categorize Ombuds as Campus Security Authorities and the International Ombudsman Association has always asserted that doing so would conflict with Ombuds’ basic duty of confidentiality.  The DOE’s change in position was therefore unexpected and concerning.

The 2015 Ombuds Blog Annual Top Ten List, Part I

This is the fifth annual survey of the top Organizational Ombuds stories.  A list of the most important news from 2015 will come in installments over the next three weeks.  Before getting to the list, there are a few notable items that didn't make the list:

Students at University of Texas Seek Full-Time Ombuds

At its latest meeting, the Graduate Student Association at UT Austin introduced a new proposal to support funding a full-time Student Ombudsman. The UT Office of the Ombudsman, although 46 years old, has just one part-time Student Ombudsperson, Brittany Linton, and two part-time Assistant Student Ombudspersons for a student population of over 50,000.

Opinion: IOA Should Seek Strategic Partners for its Annual Conference

Our professional organization has made some remarkable progress during its first decade.  The International Ombudsman Association has largely integrated its predecessor organizations, formalized its internal structures, and built a reliable training program and annual conference. However, the strategic goal of, "an outreach program to promote the understanding, visibility and development of Organizational Ombudsman roles and offices," remains underfunded and ad hoc. 

Fortunately, IOA's well-established annual conference provides an opportunity to advance this goal: IOA should partner with other organizations to hold joint conferences.