Wayne Blair will be the featured speaker at the event hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University Ombudsman William King on October 19, 2017. The fifth annual event is free and open to the public.
Here is the full agenda:
In her latest annual report, UPenn Ombudsman Lynn Hollen Lees said that the Office of Ombuds saw a slight rise in the number of visitors in 2016-17. Although the total visitor count was essentially flat, Lees noted that:
Michelle Shasha and Natalie Fleury, the MCW Ombuds, report that they assisted 177 individuals in 2016. In addition to visitor-initiated contacts, the total includes exit interviews with 26 faculty. In addition to visitor data, the report also summarizes systemic issues and concerns, and five-year trends. (MCW 2016 Ombuds Report.)
The national social justice network is hiring a part-time Ombudsperson. It appears that this will replace SWOP-USA's founding Ombuds, Smitty Buckler, who started the program last year. The position will help implement and fine-tune national and chapter grievance policies, and listen to concerns from stakeholders. Buckler is a Seattle-based artist and health care activist or collective.
The public university in Orem has named Talatou Abdoulaye as its first full-time Ombudsperson, serving the entire campus. He succeeds Maren Turnidge who had been the UVU Student Ombuds on a part-time basis since 2013.
Lee Twyman has been the Ombudsperson at Rochester Institute of Technology since 2003. She is also a current Director of the International Ombudsman Association. A video posted to YouTube for a student orientation program gives her the opportunity to introduce herself to a new crop of undergrads. (YouTube.)
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire), which operates the world's largest particle physics lab, has named Pierre Gildemyn as its next Ombuds. Gildeman takes over from Sudeshna Datta-Cockerill, who served as CERN's Ombuds for the past four years.
The International Ombudsman Association is seeking nomination for Directors who will serve a three-year term starting in April 2018. There will be six open seats, meaning that some of the current Board members will not seek reelection or that the Board is expanding. Only current IOA members may nominate individuals before the October 20, 2017 deadline.
The NIH Office of the Ombudsman is hiring an Associate Ombudsman in the Center for Cooperation for a one-year contract. The position joins a well-established Ombuds program that serves 23,000 senior
leadership, scientific and clinical researchers, administrative and support staff, fellows, and a wage and
contract workforce, mostly in the Bethesda,
Maryland area.
Columbia's School of Professional Studies (which offers a MS in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution), will sponsor a webinar: "Challenges for Global Ombuds Programs." Set for October 5, 2017, the one-hour webinar is free for those who RSVP.
The Jayhawks have hired DA Graham as its University Ombuds. Graham has previously served as Ombuds for San Diego State University, Princeton, and the University of Alabama. He was most recently the Vice President for Global Integrity for the Nielsen Corporation. He succeeds Kellie Harmon, who retired earlier this year.
Montgomery College's Ombuds, Julie Schwartz Weber, has posted a two-part list of of the top 12 reasons people do not visit with the Ombuds. It's a great reminder about the barriers Ombuds face when developing their program.
Late last year, the public liberal arts university in Pennsylvania appointed Beth Zewe as University Ombudsperson. She succeeds Ron Wilson, who was the Ombuds since 2015. Zewe works with faculty, staff, students, and other campus stakeholders folliwng IOA standards. She has worked at the university since 1984 and previously was Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development. Zewe is also an alumnus. (Edinboro Ombuds; LinkedIn.)
The latest guidance from the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights says that colleges can use informal resolutions such as mediation to resolve Title IX complaints -- even those involving sexual assaults. In a conference call with members of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Candice Jackson discussed a new seven-page Q&A document the Department issued after rescinding its 2011 and 2014 guidance that led to significant changes in how campuses handled Title IX matters.
The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights believes that colleges can use informal resolutions such as mediation to resolve Title IX complaints -- even those involving sexual assaults. Ombuds have emerged as an important resource for individuals participating in campus Title IX processes. What do you think?
