2025 Year in Review: Transitions

This is the first post in the Ombuds Blog’s annual year-end summary of the Organizational Ombuds profession. This installment focuses on transitions in the field, beginning with a review of Ombuds who retired or passed away during the year, along with a recap of newly established and closed Ombuds programs. Another post reviewing other developments from the year will follow in the next week.

Alabama Adapted Athletics Names First Ombuds

Kimberly Gibson has been appointed the inaugural Ombud for the University of Alabama Adapted Athletics. She "will provide free, independent, and impartial consultation and problem-solving support to all UAAA athletes [including] discipline, participation concerns, policy interpretation and eligibility questions, interpersonal conflicts, conduct, and discrimination, safety, well-being, and harassment matters."

Illinois State Legislator Introduces Bill to Mandate Ombuds for College Athletes

On December 4, 2023, Kambium "Kam" Buckner (D-26), a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, introduced a bill that would create a Student Bill of Rights for all postsecondary institutions in the state. The bill seeks to protect students from retaliation and hazing and, among other things, would require the creation of an Ombudsperson for student-athletes. The bill has only been filed and there have not yet been any hearings or votes.

Campus Newspaper Reveals Ombuds Casework at Northwestern

A report in the Daily Northwestern this week exposed the involvement of the University Ombuds in a new campus controversy. Northwestern University has been rocked this year by multiple allegations of hazing and other misconduct in multiple sports programs. Most recently, Northwestern's cheerleaders have complained about safety concerns and a culture of body shaming. The campus newspaper revealed that the University Ombuds, Sarah Klaper, worked on the issue last year:

Illinois State Legislator Floats Proposal for College Athlete Ombuds

Reacting to recent controversy in the athletics program at Northwestern University, one state legislator is promising a bill to mandate an Ombuds for college athletes. Kambium "Kam" Buckner (D-26), a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, told the local CBS affiliate that he would be sponsoring legislation to create an athlete bill of rights. According to the report, "the lawmaker wants to mandate an 'ombudsman,' a person who athletes can come to, other than a coach, to whistleblow without fear of retaliation." No further details have been released by Buckner's office. (CBS Chicago.) 

University of Missouri Names First Faculty Ombuds

Mizzou, Missouri's flagship public research university in Columbia, has appointed Pamela (Hinton) Bruzina as its first Ombudsperson, effective July 1, 2023. According to an email from the Provost, Bruzina "is a designated neutral facilitator who contributes informal assistance and impartial conflict and dispute resolution to MU faculty." She has colleagues at University of Missouri–St. Louis and University of Missouri–Kansas City. Meanwhile, the University of Missouri System is also in the midst of a search for its first Ombuds. 

Allegheny College Taps Basketball Coach as First Ombuds

After 13 years as the women’s basketball head coach at the private liberal arts college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Kate Costanzo has been named the first Ombuds. Costanzo was also recently promoted to assistant director of athletics for the D3 school and she continues to serve as the NCAA designee on Allegheny's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. College President Hillary Link said that Costanzo’s aptitude to grow within the athletics department as well as her personality traits are what led to her selection for the Ombuds position.

Idaho State University is Refreshing its Roster of Ombuds

ISU is seeking nominations for staff to join its group of part-time Ombuds. About seven faculty and staff make up the ISU Ombuds Program, which provides services only to university faculty and staff. The program has had a number of incarnations; In 2011, the Faculty Ombudsperson coordinated a faculty no confidence vote in the president and his office was subsequently shuttered for a short time. The current panel configuration has been in place for four years and practices to IOA standards.

U.S. Air Force Academy Plans Ombuds for Athletics

In testimony before a Congressional subcommittee last week, Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria detailed several initiatives to tackle sexual assault, sexual harassment, and culture- and climate-related issues at the school in Colorado Springs. These plans include an Ombuds for the USAFA's athletics department.

Job Posting: Grambling State University

The public university in Louisiana is hiring its first "Student Ombudsman." (Jazmine Cherry has held the position on an interim basis for a few months. ) The job description is not, unfortunately, consistent with the prevailing professional standards or the predominant practices for Organizational Ombuds in higher education.

University of Massachusetts Amherst Hires an Assistant Ombuds

Derek Doughty has joined the Ombuds Office at UMass Amherst as an Assistant Ombuds. He moves into the position from the dean of students office, where he was a case manager and liaison to athletics. Doughty reports to University Ombuds Carol Booth works with Associate Ombuds Martha Patrick.

U.S. Department of Education Rejects IOA's Clery Act Arguments

The International Ombudsman Association has revealed that the Department of Education rebuffed its arguments that University Ombuds should be exempt from the mandatory reporting requirements of campus crime data under the Clery Act.  

NCAA Committee Recommends Ombuds for Investigations

A subcommittee of the National Collegiate Athletic Association has recommended several outside-the-box ideas for changing an enforcement system that is widely seen as ineffective an unfair. The NCAA oversees competitive college sports and polices its own rules; but its enforcement mechanisms are often seen as protracted and favoring high-profile athletics programs.  Since May 2016, the NCAA Division I Enforcement and Infractions Review Group has been conducting a review of the enforcement and infractions processes. One of the early proposals is for an Ombudsman to be available to parties involved in an NCAA investigation.

Forbes Contributor: College Sports Needs an Ombuds Program

Writing in Forbes Magazine, David Ridpath says that recurring claims of sexual misconduct against college athletes indicates a cultural problem in intercollegiate athletics. He lays out ten recommendations that college sports associations could adopt to make address the problem. (Details are laid out in a paper that he co-authored for The Drake Group released this week.) One of the recommendations is for an Athlete Ombuds:

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.

Canadian Paralympic Committee Appoints Ombuds for 2015/2016 Games

The Canadian Paralympic Committee has appointed Peter Lawless to serve as Team Canada's Ombudsperson for the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. CPC's spokesperson Elisabeth Walker-Young said,"His legal and sport expertise combine to make him a prime candidate for the role of ombudsperson. We'd prefer to not have Peter busy in his role as ombudsperson, but if the situations present themselves, I'm confident with him in Team Canada's corner." 

Sports Conflict Institute Explores Ombuds for NCAA

The latest SCI Talk podcast, SCI Founder Joshua Gordon and Dr. Ken Pendleton discuss the value and need for an improved intercollegiate Ombuds model. SCI is a major proponent of having a dedicated ombudsman available to student athletes and the outlet it provides to avoid major issues or conflict in NCAA college athletics. (SCI Talk.)

Task Force Recommends Ombuds for Student-Athletes at Berkeley

A task force looking into low graduation rates for football players at the University of California, Berkeley has recommended the appointment of an Ombuds specifically for student-athletes along with dozens of other changes.  Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks and interim Director of Athletics Mike Williams that they were ready to embrace all of the proposals.   

Lehigh University Names Two New Ombuds

The private university in Bethlehem, PA has appointed Robert Thornton and Susan Szczepanski to serve as Ombudspersons.  In their part-time roles, they serve as resources for about about 9,000 faculty, students and staff.  

University of Utah Appoints Ombuds for Student Athletes

In response to misconduct by a coach at the state's flagship university, President David W. Pershing announced new policies new policies to better support student athletes, including the the appointment of an independent "Athletics Ombudsman." Ryan Randall was appointed to the Ombuds role and will report directly to the dean of students. This is the first Ombuds program of any kind at the U of U and no other information has been made public.