Ombuddy Podcast Interviews Mount Holyoke College Ombuds

Vivian Hsu is the latest guest on Brooke Wichmann's podcast, "Ombuddy." Hsu, the Ombuds for Mount Holyoke since 2017, reflects on the personal and professional experiences that led her to Ombuds work and the skills she carries from her background in law and organizational consulting. Wichmann says that Hsu emphasized knowing what “hat” you are wearing and having the clarity and discipline to stay in the appropriate lane.

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. 

Ombuds Launches New Podcast: "Ombuddy"

A new podcast, "Ombuddy," hosted by Brooke Wichmann, spotlights the people and pathways behind Organizational Ombuds work. The show features conversations with Ombuds about what drew them to the role, formative moments in their practice, and the ideas that sustain them. Blending professional reflection with a relaxed format, Ombuddy aims to bring greater visibility to the work often done quietly and behind the scenes. 

University of the Pacific Appoints Ombuds

Brooke Wichmann, CO-OP has been hired to reestablish the Ombuds Office for the private Methodist-affiliated university in Stockton, California. As the full-time University Ombuds, she will reopen a program that closed in 2022 when the inaugural Ombuds, Hector Escalante Meza, moved to the University of California, Merced. Wichmann will serve about 10,000 faculty, staff, and students across three campuses. 

Ombuds at University of Tennessee Posts Annual Report

UTK Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann, have released their annual report for the 2022 fiscal year. In total, the UTK Office of the Ombuds handled 505 visitors, an increase of 26% over the prior year. The detailed, 26-page report also highlighted: day-to-day operations; operational growth; efforts in meeting the Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner Requirements; strategies for addressing prior year recommendations; and operational success indicators. (UTK Ombuds 2022 Report.)

University of Tennessee Expands Ombuds Office with New Associate

In November 2021, Brooke Wichmann became the first full-time Associate Ombudsperson at UT Knoxville. She joins Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and serves faculty, staff, and graduate students. Wichmann comes to the position after six years as the Associate Director of Conflict Resolution Services at Colorado State University.

Brookhaven National Lab Selects Ombuds

Brooke Wichmann has been named the Ombudsperson for the U.S. Department of Energy laboratory in Long Island, New York. She will revive and revise a program that was previously headed by Susan Foster (but who did not practice to IOA standards). 

University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine Announces First Ombuds

Joan Rentsch has been named the first Ombuds for UTGSM, which oversees graduate medical education and medical students at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Rentsch will "provide a confidential, safe space for GSM faculty, fellows and residents to discuss issues and perceived problems free from any possible retribution and to provide them an informal, independent, and impartial channel of problem resolution that is an alternative to formal processes." Her work will supplement that of the UT Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann.

Job Posting (Internal): University of Tennessee

The Office of Ombuds Services at UT Knoxville is hiring a Graduate Research Assistant. The position will work with Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann, and supports educational programing and outreach initiatives. The half-time position will start in July 2023 and last 12 months. 

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: 

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Arranges for Interim Ombuds Services

As the search for its first full-time Ombudsperson stretches into a tenth month, UT Chattanooga has contracted with UT Knoxville to provide Ombuds services. UTK's Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann, will serve as Interim Ombuds for faculty and staff at UTC until the national search is completed. 

Podcast: Staying Grounded with Heavy Cases

Joe Johnston is the latest guest on Brooke Wichmann's podcast, "Ombuddy." Johnston, the Ombuds at the Rochester Institute of Technology, talks about his three decades of experience in higher education, including roles in residence life, student conduct, and now Ombuds. The thread through all of these jobs: "His commitment to deep listening and, at times, dark humor." 

Job Posting: University of Tennessee Knoxville

UTK is seeking its next Associate (or Assistant) Ombudsperson. The search will fill a position recently vacated by Brooke Wichmann, who is the inaugural Ombuds for American InterContinental University. The full-time position reports to Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and serves over 18,000 stakeholder, including faculty, staff, and graduate students. The expected start date is early fall 2025.

University of Tennessee Knoxville Ombuds Posts Fifth Annual Report

Cases increased significantly according to the 2023-24 annual report from the Office of Ombuds Services at UT Knoxville. Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, said that her office handled 659 contacts with visitors. The office includes Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann, Educational Program Coordinator, Duren Thompson, and a graduate research assistant, Mohammad “Shovon” Rahanur Alam.

Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal Publishes Article About Ombuds

The latest issue of the SPE Journal includes, "The Organizational Ombuds Office and Corporate Social Responsibility: Driving Values in an Organization." Authored by three Baker Hughes employees, Bonnie Bonnivier (Ombuds), Melanie Brooke-Lander (Director of HSE Programs and Corporate Social Responsibility), and Melanie Lewis (Principal Ombuds), the article discuss how the Ombuds Office was established and shares their experiences in the preparation and implementation, establishment and operation of the function.

Brookhaven National Lab Abruptly Closes Ombuds Office

Just two weeks after she was appointed as the Ombuds for the U.S. Department of Energy lab in Long Island, New York, Brooke Wichmann has been laid off "due to changes in leadership and funding." She had been selected after a 20-month search to restart the Ombuds program at Brookhaven and bring it up to IOA standards. (LinkedIn.)

University of Tennessee Knoxville Adds an Ombuds

Nellie Haddad has been hired as the next Associate Ombudsperson, filling a position recently vacated by Brooke Wichmann. Haddad will report to the Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and assist in providing Ombuds services to over 18,000 stakeholder, including faculty, staff, and graduate students at the large, land-grant university.

American InterContinental University Selects First Ombuds

Brooke Wichmann, CO-OP, has been appointed the first Ombuds for AIU, a private for-profit university based in Schaumburg, Illinois. In this new, full-time role, she will establish and manage a program to serve 11,000 students. Wichmann comes to AIU from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she has been the Associate Ombuds since 2021. During that time, she also served as an interim Ombuds for UT Chattanooga. (UTK Ombuds.)

University of Tennessee Chattanooga Announces Ombuds

Next week, Anovia Slaughter will become the first full-time University Ombuds for all UTC faculty and staff. Slaughter will report to the University Chancellor through the Chief of Staff and will practice to IOA standards. She takes over from UT Chattanooga's Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, and Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann, who have served as Interim Ombuds since last September.

University of Tennessee Knoxville Ombuds Shares 2023 Annual Report

The Office of Ombuds Services at UT Knoxville reports that it assisted 513 visitors with 339 cases in 2022-23 academic year, with staff comprising almost 50% of visitors. Campus Ombudsperson, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch, Associate Ombudsperson, Brooke Wichmann, and Educational Program Coordinator, Duren Thompson, significantly increased their outreach. Workshops and other events counted 950 participants, a two-fold gain from the previous year.