The International Ombudsman Association is asking for donations to its annual FUNdraiser raffle. Participants can win some great prizes and lasting memories. Last year, donations included gift cards, themed baskets, books, university gear, photography and handmade crafts that helped offset costs for onsite activities during the conference.
ALL raffle prize contributions are welcome!
WSU has published an introduction to their two current Ombudsmen: Tena Old and Max Kirk. Old has served in the role since April 2011 and Kirk began in July 2015. Old’s background is on the staff/administrative professional side. Kirk, who started in the ombudsman office in 2015, is an associate professor in the School of Design and Construction.
The public land grant research university in Morgantown, has opened a search for its first Faculty Ombuds. The part-time (approximately 10 hours per week or 25% FTE) position will report to the Provost and provide assistance to all faculty members of the university community, "with preference given to those faculty members not holding administrative positions."
Lucie Allaire, the U of O’s first Ombudsperson, said that most of the recommendations she has made over the past five years have been implemented by the university. In addition to the specific issues that have been addressed and remain an issue, Allaire also said that her office had responded to over 1,800 matters between January 2010 and the end of May 2015.
Colorado's flagship public research university in Boulder is hiring an Associate Ombuds. The position reports to the newly hired director, Kirsi Aulin, and will work with students, staff, faculty, and administrators. The posting says, "We are looking for an expert mediator with a deep understanding of conflict resolution, who is excited about the opportunity to set strategic direction and precedent for our campus."
Rowe, the retired MIT Ombuds and adjunct professor at MIT Sloan, was interviewed by the on-campus newsletter about systems for mitigating discrimination and conflict in organizations. In the conversation, she explains how Ombuds are a critical part of a broad approach to microinequities:
Nora Farrell, the Ryerson Ombudsperson, reports that her office received 520 concerns in the last academic year, a rebound of nearly 8% from 2013-14. The focus of Farrell's annual report is not on the numbers, but on the recommendations for system-wide improvements, including updates from stakeholders on past recommendations.
Nicole Picconi has been appointed as the first Ombuds for students, faculty and staff at SDSU. (Previously, the university had a dean of students who also served as a part-time Ombuds for students.) “This hire is the result of years of research and advocacy on the part of members of the Academic Senate who looked in particular at the ombuds personnel and processes in place at Iowa State University,” said long-time professor, Ruth Harper.
The International Ombudsman Association's Title IX Committee has pulled together materials for Ombuds at U.S. colleges and universities seeking guidance on the evolving legal issues around sexual misconduct. The materials are generally not produced or written by IOA, but permission has been granted to share them with members.
Petra Holst, the Studentombud at Lund, has issued an annual report covering the 2014-15 academic year, the first year of her office. She reports receiving 490 inquiries from students. Holst chose to highlight a case of bullying (where a student was ostracized by group members in a group project) to illustrate the significant number and problems the behavior causes. She recommended changes in university programs to better assist students who face bullying. (Lundagård.)
Multiple women have come forward claiming that the private Baptist university in Waco, Texas failed to respond appropriately to complaints of rape by a football player. According to a published report, one female student "reported the assault to Baylor's ombudsman office and were sent to meet with the school's chief judicial officer." A spokesperson for the school announced on Monday that an investigation is on-going and that Ombuds will be created for the athletic department.
The small private university in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta is hiring an Ombudsman/Employee Relations Officer. The position "is responsible for coordinating the investigation and resolution of internal complaints including but not limited to discrimination, sexual harassment, employee misconduct, Title IX, mediation requests, or requests for accommodations" -- so a combination of confidential-informal-neutral duties and investigatory-formal-aligned duties.
In June 2015, the Administrative Conference of the United States engaged chiResolutions to conduct a year long study of Federal Ombuds programs. In January, after months of designing a mixed-method survey and identifying Federal Ombuds, chiResolutions invited over 175 Federal Ombuds offices to participate in the survey.
Lies Poesiat, Student Ombudsman at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam reports that 125 were brought to her office in 2014, and all but one had been dealt with by the end of the year. Proportionately, the greatest number of
cases handled by the Student Ombudsman
in 2014 came from students in the
faculties of Medicine and of Psychology
and Education.
The Associated Students of the University of Hawai‘i have passed a resolution supporting the establishment of an Ombuds office at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. The move is likely to bolster on-going efforts by administrators, faculty, and the state legislature to restore the program that closed in 2009. (Kaleo.)
