University of Kansas Names Interim Ombuds

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.

Job Posting: Synchrony Financial

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. 

(Problematic) Job Posting: York County, VA

The county government in eastern Virginia is hiring a full-time “Assistant County Administrator/Organizational Ombuds.” Although the posting references the International Ombuds Association, the role combines Ombuds duties with senior executive responsibilities that appear incompatible with core Organizational Ombuds standards. The position leads the County’s business engagement and economic development efforts, including coordinating across departments, advising leadership on policy and strategy, guiding businesses through regulatory processes, and resolving stakeholder concerns. These responsibilities involve operational decision-making and advocacy for organizational interests, which conflict with the independence, neutrality, and informality expected of an Organizational Ombuds—even if the function were intended to be part-time.

Job Posting: Virginia Health Sciences

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.)

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.

Bethune–Cookman University Appoints Collateral Duty Ombuds

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. 

Update: Paramount Chooses a Unconventional News Ombudsman for CBS

Earlier this week, Skydance Media and Paramount Global fulfilled their promise to the Federal Communications Commission with the appointment of Kenneth Weinstein as the News Ombudsman for CBS. The role, also known as a public editor or readers' representative, is usually a bridge between the public and the newsroom, characterized by independence and impartiality. Qualifications for a News Ombudsman typically include strong journalism experience, excellent communication skills, and the ability to act as a neutral and independent investigator. Weinstein is a longtime, conservative policy analyst who has served as an advisor in the Trump administration. AP points out that his resume "bears little resemblance to how this watchdog role has traditionally operated in journalism." (Variety; AP News.) 

MWI Selects a Senior Ombuds Manager

Vik Kapoor has been hired by MWI as its first Senior Manager of Ombuds Program Success and will start September 24, 2025. In this new role, Kapoor will serve as the main point of contact for active clients, lead new program rollouts, and support our ombuds teams to ensure they have what they need to serve clients well.

Job Re-Posting (Nonconforming): AIU Online

American InterContinental University has reopened a search for its first Ombudsman. (Brooke Wichmann was initially announced for the position.) AIU is a private for-profit university based in Schaumburg, Illinois, but the full-time position is advertised as fully remote. It is owned by the for-profit company Perdoceo Education Corporation. The position will establish and manage a program that is not expected to meet IOA standards. The job description appears to be primarily a complaint manager and includes these highly concerning duties: 

Texas Expands Power Over Higher Ed With New Ombuds Office

On June 20, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a sweeping bill that expands state control over public universities. Senate Bill 37 imposes reviews of university curriculum and degrees, broadens regents' power over hiring and instruction, and creates an Office of the Ombudsman within the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 

Lawyer Warns Students About University Ombuds

Joseph D. Lento is an attorney based in New Jersey with a nationwide practice representing students (and others) in disputes with colleges and universities. His website was recently updated with a page about University Ombuds. He fairly describes the Ombuds' role and acknowledges many of the services. However, he also offers some examples of "potential pitfalls and perils" of relying on Ombuds' advice: 

Maine Legislature Considers Bill for Prison Ombuds With IOA Standards

Yesterday, Maine State Senator Jill Duson introduced "An Act to Establish the Corrections Ombudsman" (Maine LD 1962). In most respects, the proposed Ombuds would resemble those in other states' prison programs, which are exclusively Classical Ombuds. However, Duson's bill would require the Ombuds to "act in accordance with the International Ombuds Association's or a successor organization's published code of ethics and standards of practice." 

Job Posting: San Francisco Democratic Party

The official organization for Democrats in the City and County of San Francisco is seeking its first Ombudsperson. The volunteer position "serves a critical role in upholding the integrity of the Code of Conduct and Policies [and] is the first point of contact by Complainants, and a source of guidance for Democratic Club leaders." The description seems to anticipate a mix of formal and informal duties. The work may be performed remotely, but applicants must reside in the U.S.

Job Posting (Nonconforming): AIU Online

American InterContinental University has opened a search for its first Ombudsman. AUI is a private for-profit university based in Schaumburg, Illinois, but the full-time position is advertised as fully remote. It is owned by the for-profit company Perdoceo Education Corporation. The position will establish and manage a program that is not expected to meet IOA standards. The job description appears to be a complaint manager and includes these duties: 

Central New Mexico Community College Unveils Ombuds Program

The public community college in Albuquerque, formerly known as Technical Vocational Institute (TVI), has created a Student Ombudsman office for its 22,000 students. The scope of services is generally consistent with other Ombuds programs in higher education, except that the website invites students to "report any concerns you may have." (Ombuds who practice to IOA standards do not act as an agent for notice and do not receive complaints for their organization.) The new Ombuds is located within the Dean of Students Office. The Ombuds is not identified nor did they respond to an email request for more information. (CNM Ombuds.)

Job Posting: Pennsylvania State University

Penn State has opened a search for an Assistant/Associate Dean for Graduate Student Academic Affairs and Professional Development. In addition to overseeing graduate student affairs, the position will also serve as "the university-wide ombudsperson, ensuring impartial and confidential resolution of student concerns." This broad description makes in unclear whether the position will replace the the Acting University Faculty Ombudsperson (Lisa Gatzke-Kopp, who was named in January) or the Graduate Student Ombuds (three faculty have served as collateral duty Ombuds for grad students since 2021: K.H. Fong, Deb Kerstetter, and Patrick Lee Plaisance). For the last two years, Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences has designated eight faculty as Ombuds for its graduate students and postdocs.

Young Harris College Assigns New Ombuds Duties to Title IX Officer

The private liberal arts college in Georgia has created an Ombuds program for students and named its Associate Vice President for Policy and Compliance and Title IX Coordinator, Laura Whitaker-Lea, as the inaugural College Ombuds. According to the current student handbook, the Ombuds provides typical services, but confidentiality does not cover Title IX and campus safety issues. 

2023 Year in Review: Top Posts, Cheers/Jeers, and Courage

This is the second post reflecting on the past year. Here are the most viewed posts, highs and lows, and a story about an Ombuds meeting the challenge of her work.

San Dieguito Public Schools to Launch Troubling Ombuds Program

The Board of Trustees for the San Dieguito Union High School District (the second best district in California) in northern San Diego County, approved the hiring of its first Director of Community Resolution & Outreach. The new position "acts as the district’s ombudsperson and is a designated neutral or impartial dispute resolution practitioner whose major function is to provide informal assistance to constituents of the district community, including students, employees, parents, and community members." Unfortunately, the job also has conflicting formal duties ensuring the district is complying with Title IX.

Job Posting: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

The state agency headquartered in Austin is hiring an Employee Ombudsman. This is a hybrid/remote position with aspects of both Organizational and Classical Ombuds work. In addition to providing conflict management and dispute resolution services, the position also: "Conducts analysis of workplace situations by interviewing employees, conducting investigations, and fact finding. Prepares final decisions or reports and provides findings to appropriate chain of command or Human Resources." Travel may be required.