Eastern Michigan University Appoints New Ombuds

The public university in Ypsilanti has announced the appointment of Kathryn Farkas as its new Ombuds Officer. She follows Julia Heck, who recently moved to an administrative position at Cal State Channel Islands. Farkas will serve a student body of more than 21,000. The office often handles more than 500 cases a year.

IOA Releases Detailed Agenda for 2022 Virtual Conference

For the second year in a row, the International Ombudsman Association will hold its annual conference virtually. IOA's 17th annual meeting will take place April 4 through 6, 2022. Social events will use Gather.town, a virtual world with video features. Registration has been open for a few weeks and now the detailed agenda has been posted.

Podcast Interview With Ombuds at Eastern Michigan University

EMU Ombuds Associate Director Julia Heck and graduate Assistant Michayla Petel sat down for an interview with The Eastern Echo, the campus newspaper, last week. Heck said that her caseload has been increasing the past few years and that they see 450-500 students a year. Heck and Petel talk about the Ombuds' role and the kinds of issues they deal with most frequently. It's a good overview of the work done by campus Ombuds. (The Eastern Echo.)

IOA Announces Agenda for 2019 Annual Conference

The International Ombudsman Association convenes its 13th annual conference at the Sheraton Hotel New Orleans on April 1-3, 2019. The three-day event will be familiar to anyone who has attended in recent years: the days start with keynote events from Ombuds and others professionals, plenary and concurrent sessions, and opportunities to hear from association leaders. The full agenda with presenter bios is now available and registration is open.

Registration Opens for 2018 Summer Academic Ombuds Meeting

The University of Iowa is set to host the 16th Annual Summer Academic Ombuds Meeting on June 25-26. The Summer Meeting provides an opportunity for academic Ombuds to become better acquainted, to share concerns unique to our professional environments, and to support and learn from each other’s experiences in a relatively-intimate, informal setting. The conference is preceded by a workshop for new academic Ombuds. It is an absolute bargain for a professional development event.

Ombuds Head to Virginia for 2018 IOA Conference

The International Ombudsman Association will hold its 13th annual conference April 23-25, 2018 at the Richmond Marriott in Virginia. The event follows a now familiar format of keynote events from Ombuds and others professionals, plenary and concurrent sessions, and opportunities to hear from association leaders. An agenda for the conference is now available and registration is open.

Ombuds' Presence Grows at 2017 ACR Conference

Ombuds will be a prominent part of the Association for Conflict Resolution's 2017 annual conference, "Professionalize Your Passion." Set for October 11-14 in Dallas, TX, the event includes networking events for Ombuds, and Ombuds as plenary speakers, workshop leaders, and honorees. Virginia Tech Ombuds Bryan Hanson is ACR's current president.