Job Posting: Roanoke College

The private liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia is hiring its first Campus Ombuds. The new full-time position, will serve faculty, staff, and students following IOA standards. "Beyond the fulfilling duties of helping campus constituents, the position will also develop programs and strategies to educate, address, and reduce all forms of discrimination, bias, sexual violence and harassment at Roanoke College."

Prince William County Public Schools Hires Seasoned Ombuds

Monique Bookstein has been selected as the next Ombudsman for the public school system in the Virginia suburb of Washington, DC. She comes to the role after 12 years as the Chief Ombuds for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and succeeds Sarah Miller Espinosa. Bookstein will report to the PWCS board and serve the parents of 90,000 students, community members, and 11,000 employees.

Job Posting: UC Irvine

The Orange County campus of the University of California has opened a search for an Ombuds. The opening follows the promotion of Jennifer Moumneh from Senior Associate Ombuds to Director of the office. The full-time position provides Ombuds services to all campus stakeholders including members of the UCI medical center in Orange.

Ombuds Caseload Trended Down in 2020-21 at University of Iowa

The Iowa Office of the Ombudsperson reported the number of visitors declined 13% to 646 in the 2020-21 academic year. Associate Ombuds, Jennifer Lynch told the faculty senate that “several factors contributed including faculty, staff, and students interacting less due to remote teaching, learning, and work, and fewer opportunities to publicize the work of our office.” Faculty cases continued to increase, however, and now represent 28% of all matters brought to the Ombuds.

Two Ombuds Serve Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

According to a new webpage for the OIST Ombuds Office, Jeff Wickens is the Ombuds and Evan Economo is the Assistant Ombudsperson. Since 2019, they have served as a resource for all employees and students of the highly-ranked research institute (Okinawa Kagaku Gijutsu Daigakuin Daigaku).

Job Posting: Dartmouth College

The private Ivy League college in New Hampshire has opened a search for a full-time Ombudsperson. The position will serve the graduate students, postdocs, faculty and staff, but not undergrads, despite advocacy efforts by students. The Ombuds will practice to IOA standards. The search will return an Ombuds program after a hiatus of four years.

Job Posting: Indigenous Services Canada

One of Canada's two departments with responsibility for policies relating to Indigenous peoples (the other being the Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada) is hiring an Ombuds based in Gatineau, Québec. The position will report to the Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services Canada and "facilitate the resolution of work-related issues and concerns by providing all employees with a confidential, impartial and informal resource in an independent manner."

Job Posting: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Canada's department for northern lands and territories (one of two departments with responsibility for policies relating to Indigenous peoples, the other being the Department of Indigenous Services) is hiring an Ombuds based in Gatineau, Québec. The position will report to the Deputy Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and serve as a "confidential, neutral and informal resource to facilitate the resolution of work-related concerns" for employees. 

Sharon Bailey: Ombuds for the Denver Public Schools

Sharon R. Bailey, the first Ombudsperson for the large public school system in Colorado, passed away Friday night at her home. She recently completed the IOA Foundations training and established the DPS Ombuds office this past summer. Bailey was remembered for her wide reach as a leader in education making a deep impact across communities in Colorado. Her last role as the Ombuds capped a long career in education and municipal government, including seven years on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education.

Forum of Canadian Ombudsman Marks Two Decades of Growth and Service

Yesterday, FCO celebrated its 20th anniversary with a virtual event. The Forum was formed in 2000 with a goal of serving the diversity of Ombuds practice in Canada. FCO currently boasts more than 450 members from across the country working in the private and corporate sector, government, and colleges and universities. FCO embraces the benefits that come from the similarities and differences between Classical and Organizational types of Ombuds.

University of Oregon Adds an Ombuds

Sara Ash has been hired by the Ombuds Program at U of O as a full-time Associate Ombudsperson. She works with University Ombudsperson Brett Harris and joins an office that serves about 30,000 faculty, staff, and students. Ash brings 16 years of higher education experience, most recently as Director of Student Success at Front Range Community College.

Central Michigan University Names Next Ombuds

CMU has selected Deborah Dodge as its University Ombudsperson. Previously, Erica Lynn Peters has been the only Ombuds for campus and served students; Dodge will serve all stakeholders following IOA standards. Introducing herself at a student government meeting earlier this week, Dodge said, “I truly care deeply about individual experiences within their organizations.”

Khazar University Introduces New Ombuds

In March of this year, Aytaj Ibrahimli was selected as the Ombudsman for Xəzər Universiteti, the private university in Baku, Azerbaijan. Along with a new website, she has initiated a number of steps to build awareness among the 2,000 students on campus. Ibrahimli has been meeting with each of the university's colleges and is conducting an anonymous survey to gauge students' concerns. The goal of her office is "to provide a confidential space for students to express their problems, find solutions and solve problems ... in a confidential, informal and impartial manner to ensure accountability and fair treatment." [Google translation.] (Khazar University Ombuds; News.)

Lynda Dunham-Wilke: Former Ombuds at University of Victoria

Lynda Ann Dunham-Wilke passed away on November 26, 2021 after a brief illness. Born and raised in Victoria, she graduated from the University of Victoria. Later, she went back to school to study law, graduating and being called to the Bar in 1987. After graduation, Dunham-Wilke served as the Ombudsperson for the UVic Students Society in 1988 and 1989. (Obituary; UVic Ombuds Special Anniversary Report, 2008.)

Pfizer Ombuds Office Marks 10-Year Anniversary

The Office of the Ombuds at Pfizer is celebrating ten years of service to the American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation. The office has posted a celebratory video that includes thanks and encouragement from five of Pfizer's Executive Leadership Team members including the CEO, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer. Sue Diviney is the Office of the Ombuds Lead and her team includes: Lourdes Delgado-Cheers, Global Ombuds; Tara Hunter, Specialist; Adam Learman, Global Ombuds; Elizabeth Lopez, Ombuds; and Sophia Qiao, Ombuds APAC. (Pfizer Video.)