IOA's Ombuds Release 2025 Annual Report

The International Ombuds Association's Ombuds, Laura C. Smythe and Tyler S. Smith, reported increased engagement in 2025, handling 33 cases and 51 individual visits, up from 16 cases and 35 visits in 2024. They noted that many interactions followed the IOA Annual Conference, underscoring the role of in-person events in surfacing concerns. Most visitors were affiliated with academic institutions and had between two and ten years of experience. Cases were split between IOA-related concerns and issues arising in members’ home institutions.

IOA Confirms Two Ombuds for 2023-24

The International Ombuds Association has appointed Laura C. Smythe and Tyler Smith as Ombuds for its members. They will serve one-year terms starting November 2023 and follow Interim Association Ombuds Elaine Shaw, CO-OP, and Willem Kweens, CO-OP.

Ombuds Returns to University of Idaho

David Talbot has been selected as U of I's University Ombudsperson. Reporting to the University President, Talbot will serve all 15,000 stakeholders at the state's land-grant and primary research university. Talbot comes to the position with significant Ombuds experience, most recently as a consultant for the World Food Programme. It's a bit of a homecoming for Talbot: He earned his JD at the University of Idaho. He follows Laura Smythe, who recently moved to a similar position at Iowa State University.

Job Posting: University of Idaho

Idaho's flagship public university has opened a search for its next Ombudsperson. Reporting to the University President, the full-time position serves faculty, staff member, administrators, students, and groups -- a total population of almost 15,000. The search will fill the position held by Laura Smythe, who recently moved to a similar position at Iowa State University.

New Ombuds to Resume On-Campus Services at Iowa State University

Laura Smythe has been hired as the ISU University Ombuds. The appointment ends a two-year period during the pandemic when the university outsourced the service to MWI (Jai Calloway and Chuck Doran) who provided services virtually. Smythe comes to ISU after serving as the Ombuds for the University of Idaho since October 2018. According to an announcement from ISU, Smythe will begin providing services remotely until July and there will be an overlap with MWI. (LinkedIn; Inside IA State.)

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.

ABA Opens Registration for 2021 Dispute Resolution Conference

The American Bar Association's Section on Dispute Resolution will hold its Annual Spring Conference on April 14-17, 2021. (Initially, organizers had hoped for a hybrid event with some in-person sessions in Los Angeles, but that is no longer viable.) This is the largest annual conference of ADR practitioners. The conference theme is "Agility, Disruption and Reinvention: ADR in a New World" and several sessions are relevant to Ombuds.

University of Idaho Ombuds Releases 2019 Report

Laura Smythe, who became the University of Idaho Ombuds in October 2018, has posted her first report. Smythe says that in her first nine months on the job, she handled 227 cases—a significant increase on an annual basis from prior years.

University of Idaho Lands an Ombuds

Laura Smythe has been announced as the next University of Idaho Ombuds, effective October 2. She will report to the U of I President and serve faculty, staff member, administrators, students, and groups. She succeeds Barbara Beatty, who moved to become the Ombuds at Metro State University in Denver. Smythe taught a half-day course on managing conflict during a time of grief before the 2018 IOA conference.

IOA Pre-Conference Training in Richmond Appeals to Range of ADR Professionals

The pre-conference training programs offered by the International Ombudsman Association in April 2018 is designed to be relevant for a variety of professionals working in alternative dispute resolution. Eight of the nine courses are open to the public and are not limited to Ombuds or conference attendees. (A new core course is open only to people who have completed IOA's Foundations.) The programs include: